March 26, 2025 • 55 mins
This week S.E. gets to talk about her second-favorite thing — TV! — with TV star Melissa Fumero. Melissa talks about landing a role right out of college on the longtime soap Days of Our Lives, and making her way through the TV landscape until finding Amy Santiago on the beloved comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. S.E. and Melissa share stories about being pregnant on TV, navigating the landmines of our polarizing, cancel-happy culture, and Melissa dishes about her fun, new murder-mystery series, Grosse Pointe Garden Society (which you can find on Peacock now). Stay for S.E.'s very mysterious lightning round!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
We didn't even know we were successful until the cancelation
saga happened.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome to Off the Cup, my personal anti anxiety antidote.
So I just launched a new substack. Guys, I don't
have enough jobs, but this is cool because it's all
about TV.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I love TV. I've spent my career on TV, but.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I never get to talk about TV.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
So that's what I'm going to do over there.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'll talk about the news, some behind the scenes stuff.
I'll talk about the TV business and.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Where it's going. Spoiler alert nowhere good.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
We'll talk about TV shows because I watch things other
than the news, if you can believe it, Like I
have a review up now of with Love Megan.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
It's a doozy.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So anyway, join me over on substack to talk TV.
And I bring this up over here to say that
I'm going to be watching a lot more TV as well.
And one of the shows I'm really excited about is
Gross Point Garden Society, which is airing now on NBC
and it looks so fun, sort of a sort of
(01:11):
an only Murders vibe, but like in the tony suburbs
of Detroit.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It is in my queue for sure. And one of
the stars of that show.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Is my next guest, Melissa Fumero. She's an actress, television director.
You may know her from One Life to Live or
Brooklyn ninety nine. Melissa, Welcome to Off the Cop.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Yay, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yay. I'm I'm excited there you're here, and I'm I'm
really excited to start watching GPGS, which is what I'm
gonna call it.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Are you guys calling it GPGS?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, that's what we call it.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yeah, or sometimes we're just like Garden Society or yeah,
GPGS GBGS.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
How is the show going.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
It's good.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
We are about to start shooting episode twelve.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
We're doing thirteen, so we're nearing the end.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Episode ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen are crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Oh yes, yes, I can't.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, it's uh.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
I think people should know that the.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Timelines are going to converge at a certain point around
these later episodes, and it will show you all of
the events, everything that's transpired in sequence.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Will come together. Yes, okay, good intel.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yeah, there's a couple there's a few episodes where we
don't time jump and we just stay with the big
night of the Gala and everything after. So it's really good,
and it fills in all the gaps between the scenes
that you've seen up to that point.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's really great.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
So it's Yeah, it's just like a fun, you know, thrilling,
kind of addicting show. It's good maybe that you haven't
started it yet because it is a fun I think
show to also binge.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
That's what I'm planning on doing.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, because we've.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Got Yeah, we we have fun with some cliffhangers every episode.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
So yeah, and are you you're filming in Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, we're filming in Atlanta. Yeah, this is my first
time working in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Have you been to Gross Pointe, Michigan?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
I have not. I I've been sure if you have,
I mean very if you have. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Our show runner Bill Krebs is from Gross point and
so I think that was the main point of inspiration.
He really wanted to kind of use it as a
background of you know, I mean, I think there's so
many towns like this that have, like a very that
are very affluent neighborhoods, but also have a part of
(03:45):
their town that is, you know, maybe lower middle class,
lower class and sort of how those two classes converge
or don't.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It's the strangest place. I lived in Michigan for some time,
so I have been there.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It is wild. I mean it is so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, it is so affluent, but like a block away
is like inner city Detroit, right, and it's it's the
wildest and there are towns like that, but it's the
wildest sort of like clearest delineation between the haves and
the have nots that I've ever seen because of the proximity.
(04:23):
It's not like this tony town is like twenty minutes
out in the excerps.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
It's like right there. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, So I think that's what inspired an interested bill
and that we kind of get a little more into
as the season goes on. But yeah, it's just yeah,
that like weird upper class society.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I love it as a setting. You've seen Gross Point Blank,
I assume.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I mean very long ago when I was very young, but.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yeah, the same same. It was a cool movie.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
And a lot of people are cool. U is this
like that?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
No?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
No, no, no, but it's like the only reference most people
have right for Gross Point Michigan.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, and they just assume that we're connected somehow because
I'm kind of like seql, it's such a it's such
a random place, and they're like, oh, there is this
a Is this a offshoot of the movie, And it's like, nope,
no location, totally different, totally different.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
So how did this role come to you?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Gosh, you know, this was the like hot pilot in
town that was circulating the season after the strikes, when
everybody was out of work and everybody was hungry, and
so there definitely was this feeling of like, oh God,
am I even going to get to read for this,
because like everyone is available right now, everybody's going to
(05:50):
want to read for this. And I read it, and
you know, uh, it's it's I don't especially the last
decade I've been working in comedy so much so there's
not a ton of hour longs that come kind of
to me.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
So I was excited to read it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I was excited at the potential of doing something really different,
and I just thought the script was so fun to read,
and I wanted to know what happened next. I was like,
I want to know, not just like who they murder,
I wanted to know what was going to happen with
Catherine and her husband. I wanted to know what was
going to happen with Bertie and her son. I wanted
to know, you know, if Alice and Brett were really
going to get together or if she was going to
(06:29):
work it out with her husband. Like, so it just
was kind of fun and juicy that way, and I
was really intrigued. And Bertie felt like a really really
different role than the stuff I normally get asked to do,
And so that's always exciting as an actor to get
(06:49):
to show people you can do something else, that you
actually are just an actor who can do more than
the last thing they saw you as.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
It's like the whole job is being able to do
more than one character.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Right, yep, yep, that's like literally what we trained for.
But you know you kind of like are only as
good as the last thing you were in.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
People tend to think you can only do that.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So that was like an exciting opportunity and I felt
and like and also just exciting too because I felt
like I was like this, this feels like this has
a real shot of like going a series because he's
just a pilot.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Yeah, I was like.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
This, if this is done right and it could be
shot really beautifully and like the Garden aspect is fun
and everything I hoped for ended up transpiring and it
was just like a dream.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Oh I love that.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Well, I want to talk more about all of your work,
but first let's go back a little.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I always like to ask what kind of kid were you?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Ah, oh I was. I think I was a very
hyper kid, silly goofy.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I think.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I got into dance at a very young age, and
so that was a big part of my life throughout childhood,
pretty close to my family. Like, you know, I kinda
had a great childhood. Like I guess I'm the exception
in this industry.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I know. I feel like actors feel bad when they
have to say like we.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Feel like we're supposed to like be to like ya,
and that's where we like build our art from.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Okay, it's great that you had a great childhood.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Had a pretty great childhood and up there in New
Jersey and uh, you know, I think Jersey.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Is kind of a tough place sometimes to live.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
But like outside of that, you know, but you when
that's all you know, you're just like this is how
everybody is. Everybody's a little rude to each other and
yells at each other, and it's like you know, fights
happen everywhere's like this, right.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
And you had two immigrant parents from Cuba.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Yeah, I had two immigrant parents from Cuba and the
town I grew up, and even though it was like
not the most diverse place, I did grow up with
a lot of people who had parents or grandparents from somewhere.
So I didn't feel kind of othered that my parents
had accents. I was just like, oh, like, so many
people who live here have a parent or grandparent with
(09:17):
an accent.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
It wasn't until like I got older that I was like, oh, wait,
hold on, I think maybe everyone's just been assuming I'm
Italian up.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Until this point.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I think likely in New Jersey, my mom's sting Jersey
and Italian, It's likely they just thought you were.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
My last name was Gallo and I look like this,
So I think I was saved from perhaps a different
experience than some of the other Latinos in my town, yeah,
or people of color in my town, because I think
that there was like I remember the moment in high
school I was like, I think I.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Think a lot of people just assume I'm Battalian.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I've been skating by this time, because there was a
time well it still is, like Italians are maybe the
last group of people you can totally make fun.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Of because they all make fun of themselves and everyone
because we do.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
We do, and I'm Italian.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And then the Sopranos.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
So my parents, my mom is from New Jersey, the
Sopranos come around, and suddenly Italians from New Jersey are
either Jersey Shore like Snookie or they're all the Sopranos.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, and that was a wild time those those shows
were on TV. And yes, and I just remember all
the Italians I grew up with be like, huh, I'm.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Not I'm not either of these.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
But what is our identity right now?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
What is it? Well, it's pretty cemented because of those
two things at this point. Tell me about tell me
what happens when you see the Secret Garden on Broadway.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
So my parents, luckily are of the arts. My mom
comes from a very big artistic family.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
There's a lot of like artists and sculptors and back
visual artists in her family. So they were the kind
of people that already went to museums and loved going
to theater. So when I was ten, I guess they decided, oh,
she's probably old enough to sit through a Broadway show.
Let's take her to the Secret Garden. And you know,
(11:27):
I think every actor has that moment where you see
something that makes you go, I want to do that.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
That's what I want to do. I should be up there.
I want to be up there. And that was the
experience for me.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And I was obsessed with the show and would listen
to the soundtrack NonStop. And I had a secret jour
I had a journal that was a Secret Garden themed
and I mean just and I just started fantasizing so
much about performing. And I think because I was dancing
at the time, it was.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
That, oh, you could be an actor who dances.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah yea related, yeah, like you you could, you could
do all the things you don't have to like just
be an actor in TV and movies.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
It was just amazing. And it was such a beautiful
show too.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Yeah uh.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
And then they took me to their credit like they
were so supportive. They took me to a Broadway show
once a year every year after that until I was
like in college, like that was our thing.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That's so great, and you know, it's not for everyone.
I was also ten when I saw my first Broadway show.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
It was Le Miz, which is like a very adult that's.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
A very adult heavy lots is gonna go over your head.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, like when I tell you I fucking loved it,
Like oh the ten I also danced ballet later professionally,
so that like really became my identity. But yeah, that
was like that imprinted on me so early, so fast,
and I've loved musicals ever since.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
And now I have a ten year old.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I know you have a nine year old maybe, and
I'm I'm wondering, like, Okay, what is the trick to
get him to go to a musical?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Like which one should I take him to first?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It definitely should not be Lea Mis I know my kid. No,
I'm thinking like Aladdin or something.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
I'm in the same boat where I'm like, oh, I
can't mess this up exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Its like, I will definitely mess this up if I
do it wrong.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
I've got to pick the perfect show to hook him into.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
What are you thinking Live Theater is cool? Aladdin? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Wait, there's another one that people really like. Oh, I've
heard the Back to the Future one is really great.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
And who knows that money I need? I need one
to be funny also.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Same, yeah, but like funny for kids, like.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Funny for kids where they're gonna get it. They're gonna
get get.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
The show's funny. I love that show. But he didn't
get those jokes.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
No, he yeah, my kid might because he unfortunately gets
all of the jokes all this. He my husband let
him watch Deadpool and I was like, this is so inappropriate,
and he laughed at every single joke and completely got it.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
And I have been terrified ever since.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
That's great, my ten year old. I asked him, yes,
the other day, do you know what sex is? And
he said, yeah, it's acting cute, right, exactly, That's exactly it.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Yep, you are correct, You are correct acting cute.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
Acting cute.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
So how successful when you finally decided as a kid
you loved this you wanted.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
To do it. Were you successful at it early or was.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
It not until after college that you, you know, started
seeing I can do this.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Ooh, that's a good question.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I think.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
I started to have enough moments to give me confidence,
enough confidence to say I think I'm going to be
an acting major in college. Because I went back and
forth between like should I major in dance or should
I major in acting and dance gave me a lot
of confidence too, even though just because you know the
thing when you're naturally good at dance and you know,
(15:29):
and there's there's a lot of dance that can't like
really be taught, like you.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Either have it or you don't.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And I had it to a degree, but I think
that coming naturally to me gave me a lot of confidence.
And then there would be in the acting classes I
was doing at the time or the shows I was in,
there were moments where I would like have a line,
but the teacher would single it out and be like
that was so honest the way you said that, Like
(15:56):
did everyone notice the way you know?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
And I was like, oh do I is there something heres?
The best feelings, the best kids? Yeah, And they kind
of kept happening and so, and I really loved movies
and television and so, and then I felt like my body,
I wasn't a good enough dancer maybe to major in dance,
(16:19):
and I had some injuries and I was like, I
don't know if my body will I don't know if
my body's actually built for dance. So I decided to
be a theater major. But I wanted to do a
musical theater program so I could continue dancing, and I
was like, I'll figure out the singing part.
Speaker 6 (16:38):
And I kind of.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Did do that.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yeah, I could sing good enough, I guess, and then yeah,
I think getting accepted to n YU was also like
another big moment of oh. And I think for my
parents too. Getting into NYU was like, oh shit, maybe
she's like she can do this.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Like she's got a serious program.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Yeah, she got into a good and they you know,
my mom went with me to the audition. There were
so many kids there, and I think that they were like, yeah,
there's no way. And I would also be said I
would tell them too. I would say I would say,
I'm only doing this because I just want to.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I don't want to ever wonder. I don't want to.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Ever wonder what if I had auditioned and gotten in.
So I was like, that's the only reason I'm doing this.
I know I'm not going to get into this school.
I know how competitive it is and it's really hard
and it's really expensive. I was already going to University
Arts in Philadelphia. I had my tuition deposit in. Yeah,
I was like, I'm good. You really didn't expect to
get in. I really didn't expect to get in. I
(17:35):
was like, I'm good, I'm going to go to that school.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
It's going to be great. You know, I really like it.
Living in Philly is going to be cool.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
And then yeah, I got the acceptance letter and we
just all like screamed you die, because those.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Are like those are the bast when you don't expect.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I've had one of those in my life where like
I'm like, there's no way I'm not going to get this.
I don't even deserve this, Like I'm not as good
as everyone else here, and then someone's like looking out
for you man, or you surprise yourself and you get
into the thing you never thought it is, Like I
mean I relive that feeling over and over and over again.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Oh yeah, I think it's also like not cursed me.
But in general, I tend to kind of have this
attitude of like I'd rather be surprised than disappointed.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Yeah, so I'm constantly like I'm not gonna get.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
That doting expectations.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah that like, you know, I'm having this amazing experience
on gross points, so I'm like, yeah, we're probably gonna
need to canceled, like we're not gonna get canceled where
I hope we don't.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
I really hope we get to do more.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
But it's so good and it's like such a fun
show to work on, and everyone that's working on it
is so amazing.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I'm like, you don't want it to go away?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I'd rather be surprised.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
You know, celeres and mine are business is of a
lot of rejection. So it's better as a defense mechanism
sometimes to just like not get too attached until you're
in like the eighth season, I.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Swear, I swear I was like that on Brooklyn. Every year.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
I was like, we're gonna a canceled, Like this is
too much fun, this is going too well, like there's
no way, you know, And I still couldn't believe it.
By the time I got to the last season it
was and ninety percent of the jobs I book, and
including Brooklyn, I go, well, probably not going to get those, like.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
You know I do.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
I totally get that. I totally relate to that. Okay,
we'll get to Brooklyn nine nine.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
But first you graduate, I think the first thing you
do is one life to live, Is that right?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (19:28):
So I started auditioning.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I got an agent a little bit before I graduated,
and I was auditioning, and I had screen tested for
another soap opera and didn't get it. And because I
was sort of also like the very you know, they
would see college students a lot, it was like an
easy audition to kind of get into. And then I
auditioned for One Life and I screen tested and I
found out that I got the job, which was going
(19:51):
to be a four year contract. Like whoa the day
I took my last exam, well, it was wild.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
It was wild.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Was that tip Like if you're in a college acting program,
is it typical that you'll work kind of right away?
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Or no?
Speaker 1 (20:08):
No, everybody, all my friends were like trying to figure out,
like do I get a waitressing job?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Or you know, everyone was trying to figure out what
their survival job after school was going to be, right
and going to open calls and you know, waking up
early and going to dance calls and like theater gig
calls and which I was also doing. And then this
just happened out of the blue kind and I mean
that's what it felt like. I was just auditioning, not
thinking I was going to book anything because I was
(20:36):
graduating and I was so young and then so it
was wild to get that call.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
And then it just set me on this.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Other path, like away from theater, right and away from
dance and more towards television, which you know, looking back,
obviously I'm so grateful for, but at the time, I
was like, oh, like kind of just reconfiguring everything in
my brain, just going, wait, maybe I won't do theater.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Maybe I'll do this. I don't know if it's gonna
be soap opera.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And I remember telling myself too, I was only going
to do one contract.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
I was not going to do more. I was going
to do my four years. I was going to save money.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
I was going to pay off my student loans, and
then I was, you know, going to try to be
like an actor because I also was aware that, like
you could get stuck in the in the soap world
for a long time.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
I was going to ask you, like, it's it's a
great world to get stuck in.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
It's you know, listen, It's like I said, right, I've
paid off my student loans, I got to learn how
to work with multiple cameras and like exact relationalities.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Shooting a lot and you're memorizing a lot of lines,
and super fact, you get a great character.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
You could play that character for a long time.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
But yeah, some actors don't want to get stuck in
soaps and they want to move on to other things.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
So you were sort of figuring.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Out, how do I navigate this where I take advance
of this, but I don't let this become the last
thing I do.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I think my fear at the time was if I
tell myself when my contract is up, oh, I'll just
do one more, then every time I'll say, oh, just
one more, right, just one more?
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Oh, just one more.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
So you gave yourself a cap.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I gave myself a cap. He said, there's no way
we're doing more than one contract. We're just doing the
one contract if we make it to the end. Because
also lots of people get fired on soaps. Yea, and
then we're moving on and we're just because it was
again that thing of I don't ever want to wonder
what if ye for me?
Speaker 4 (22:36):
And I know there's a listen.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
I have a lot of friends who've done soaps for
years and years and years, and they love it and
they're so happy, and they've built beautiful, amazing lives getting
paid to do what they love to do.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
And I don't judge that at all. It just wasn't
for me.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
I needed to know for sure if I could make
it in this business and make a career in this
business outside of that world.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, So tell me about uh, tell me about Gossip Girl.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
What that set was like?
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Oo wild? Uh? You know that was probably the first.
Speaker 6 (23:16):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
It was the first like.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Really big show I had ever worked on in terms
of scale, in terms of budget.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Felt like they had a lot of money on that show.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah, just from like the sets and the crew and
the cameras, and you know, it felt expensive. The wardrobe,
it felt expensive. I have no idea if it actually was,
If it wasn't, Like, kudos to them. They did an
amazing job making that show look really expensive.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
And and I came in, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Kind of at the height of their popularity and power,
And there was every time we shot outside, there was paparazzi.
There was gaggles of team age girls right wait, waiting
by the trailers for hours just to see someone.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I mean, it was I didn't know it could be
like that. It was such a cultural phenomenon at that time,
and I was just trying to like show up and
do a good job.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And I was like, this is crazy, but everybody was,
you know, it was lovely, It was it was It
was a weird set for me in terms of just
feeling a little isolated.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
And you know, again, I think they were so worried.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
About like leaks and stuff, so I wouldn't even get
the whole script.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I would just get my sides.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
And I was like, I remember there was one episode
where I had a scene that made no sense to me.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
I was like, what is happening?
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Can I get the scripts so I can see what
happens before and after this? Yeah, And they like gave
me a little bit of trouble. They were like, oh no,
we don't, you know, give any anyone besides the regulars
the scripts. And I was like, but I don't understand
my scene.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
So for listeners, sides or of just your.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Part, your part, your scenes that you're going to do
in the show. And so they would just give me
my but they're out of context for you, right, you have.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
No idea, you know. And it was like a random
scene where I was with.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
A different character that I had never acted with before,
and I was like, what, why am I meeting with him?
What is happening before this? I know, how do I
know this person?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
How do I know to go to him?
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Did he call me?
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Is he?
Speaker 2 (25:29):
And that?
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Are we conspiring?
Speaker 3 (25:32):
And we were?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
It was like we were conspiring and you know, but yeah,
and then finally they gave me the script and there
was like a scene that made it make more sense sense.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
So it was just like it was I've never I
don't think I've ever experienced anything like that show.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Since I've heard that a lot from folks who have
walked on or done cameos or small roles on that
show that it's just a it was a wild experience.
And yeah, we're a couple of years apart, so I
know that you didn't grow up with social media and
like cancel culture because I didn't either. But it came
just as I was entering, you know, broadcast journalism, and
(26:12):
it was terrifying right to you. And I'm thinking now,
like I'm thinking about the snow White hullabaloo, much of
which came from it's stars, social media and interviews and
stuff that she said, and I just wonder, like how
much you worry about what you say, maybe even in
(26:34):
podcasts like this or on the red carpet or on
your social media, because it just feels like danger is
around every corner.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, it is, and I think we live in such
intensely polarizing times and it is scary.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
You do find yourself. I'm doing it right now, carefully, Yeah,
I get it. What how to say what you want?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
How you say what you want to say, and what
you think? Because it's it is this balancing act I
think of you. You're a public person with a very
public job, and there's responsibility that comes with that, right
What the degree of that responsibility is debatable amongst different
(27:27):
groups of people, right right on one spectrum you have
the shut up and act people.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
And you have the other people.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
The other side is like, you have a platform, you
have a responsibility to help lend a voice to people
that don't have as big of a voice, right, and
you have to find where you fit into that spectrum.
And then as a personal person, you have your own
passions and your views and you know your opinions, and
it's this balancing act of how do I use my
(27:57):
platform and what what is big enough or important enough
for me to speak out about or lend a voice
to or amplify. And you know how much am I
willing to risk my career, you know, like my ability
(28:20):
to get hired you know how people are going to
view me in future jobs, you know. And Yeah, I
think it's an interesting topic and conversation. And I don't
think that there's actually any wrong answers, right, because you
could also debate like, yeah, it might, it might affect
your career, or maybe the people that like aren't afraid
(28:44):
of that shit and like, you know, have similar values
as you are going to be the ones that hire
you in the future. Like yeah, you know, I don't know.
I don't know what the answer is, and I don't
think anyone does.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
No, and I don't either.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
And I've seen my husband's and in crisis calm, so
I kind of see this from like all the sides.
And I'm in a business where I literally put my
opinions out there, right, and you know, to all kinds
of consequences from death threats to you know, fans, But yeah,
it just feels like in your business in particular, you
(29:19):
don't know what's going to work. You don't know what's
going to you know, really jeopardize your standing, whether it's
this political opinion or that political opinion.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
And maybe if you're.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Number one on the call sheet, you get more you
have more leeway, or maybe you get more scrutiny. Like
it just feels like a very fraught Yeah, time to
be Yeah, not an actor, but a real person, a
real person in a in a business where people want
you to reveal a lot about yourself, and like, how
(29:51):
do you do that in a way that's both smart
but true to yourself? And yeah, it just feels like
you could have circular arguments in your head all day
about it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Oh, you absolutely can, and I have, yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
And.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
I think I'm still figuring so much of it out
and it changes and evolves, and you know, like even
our kids, we don't like super hide our kids. We've
we've had some pictures of them when they were babies,
like on social media here and there. But then it
got to the point as they got older while I
(30:24):
was like, oh, I don't think I feel good about
this anymore, and like we kind of changed our stance
and we you know, started not posting them anymore because
I felt like I was like their face is changing
into more what they're probably going to look like when
they're teenagers, and I don't think I want them to
be recognizable, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
It's like the whole debate you have.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
So I also think it's like this thing that evolves,
like as you grow older, as you go along, as
your career changes of like you know, yeah, and it
and it.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
Is like I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
I mean, I think there's some people that have like
so many crazy talent and power and they can say
probably whatever the fuck they want, you know, like.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
That's a thing too that for them.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
I love that for them. I love that for them.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
It's like the actors that don't have to be on
social media.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Yeah, and I have zero fucks to give. I'm like, so.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Zero fucks to give, and like still win an oscar
every year, and I'm like, yeah, cool, maybe if I'm
winning Oscars, I won't be on social media either, but.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Like at least recognize that, like don't be like a
non social Like it's like.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Like you just get you don't have to be I
have to be, okay, totally, Like I tell people to
watch my show.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
So I so get that. Okay. So sorry for that diversion.
I'm just fascinat No. But I want to talk about
Brooklyn nine nine.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
You're cast in the pilot opposite Andy Samberg.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
He was a big deal at the time. He still
is fresh office, yeah, fresh off SNL. This was a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
How excited slash nervous were you for this opportunity?
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Terrified?
Speaker 3 (31:58):
You were terrified?
Speaker 4 (31:59):
I was terrified.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
I I so when I auditioned for Amy, she was
kind of like a confident, like tougher version of the
Amy that eventually ended up being on the show. I
feel like you can kind of see hints of it
in the very early episodes of season one, and I
don't know if this is actually what happened, but the
(32:21):
story I told myself was the writer saw how fucking
nervous I was all throughout the pilot and the beginning
of the series, and they just kept writing more and
more nervous, awkward moments for Amy that that became like
a staple part of her character. And maybe it's just
(32:44):
I don't know, Maybe they would say it was something different,
but I was like, damn, man, I'm not pulling this off.
They see how freaking scared I am right through me.
They see right through me. I'm there hazing me right now, right.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
But yeah, because it really rounded out your character and
created some layers that might not have been there on
the page.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it gave me a place to
funnel all of that nervous energy.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Yeah. Yeah too.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I used to just like be sweaty sometimes as Amy,
and I was like, why am I sweating? Like just
because I'm so anxious and I'm every muscle in my
body is clenched.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
His body is working hard beneath the surface.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
I am working a little too hard.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
But I was.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
I was really intimidated. I honestly was intimidated by almost everyone.
I was intimidated by Andy. He was coming right off
of Estenel. He was such a big deal. I was
intimidated by Andre the Great Andre Brower, And there was
also so much hype and buzz around Andre doing a comedy.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Terry Crews felt larger than life.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
I was a huge fan of Joela Trulio's like forever
since forever, and I was like, I can't believe I
get to act with him, And like Chelsea was so
funny and stef and he was such an amazing actor
and so funny, and everyone just felt like they knew
what they were doing. Yeah, And I was like, man,
I'm gonna have to fake it till I make it, man, Like,
I just really got to pretend like I also, I
(34:12):
also know what I am doing.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Here, right, I mean that's a good survival skill.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Yeah, so you got I read you got police training.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I know a bunch of like actors who've done doctor
shows and they go to like a doctor school for actors.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
What was your police training? Like?
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, it was fun. I mean it was pretty light.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
It was these two x LAPD detectives that were consultants
on our show pretty much for like the whole run
of the show. Also, they would pop in every time
we were doing a police chase or arresting someone just
to you know, give us little adjustments. Yeah, but it
was Yeah, they took us.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Oh, this is fun. They took us. When we were
doing the pilot, we went on.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
The Parks and Rec set because Parks and Rec was
still on, we went on their sets. So we're in
the like office set of Parks and Rec. And they're
teaching us how to hold our guns, how to clear
corners as a group. Oh, my god, how to like
clear a space, which was hilarious because there were so
many times where we'll be like, no, no, no, you don't
(35:15):
stand there.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Because you'll get shot.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
You are in the line of fire.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
You are in the line of fire. You can never
be in the line of fire. So you have to
stand over here. And we're like, oh, oh, yeah, that
makes sense, you know, and like let's say the suspect
is in this room, and how would you get from
here to there? And so it was like a lot
of that. We did that for like a couple hours.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
It was really fun.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
And also I was like, I can't believe I'm on
the set of Parking Parks and right with a gun,
right with a fake gun, like clearing corners and you know,
funning like clear and then there was like how do
you go around the person that clears you to like
the next part, Like it was all those little like
tips and tricks and how to hank somebody.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
And they had like a little dummy.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
There I think for us to practice like arresting and handcuffing,
and yeah, it was fun. It was just stuff like that,
just so that you know, pulling out our gun, how
to holster our gun all.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Those does look ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Yeah, little things, so that we just didn't it didn't
take away from the scenes. The Mike Sure and Dan
Gore really wanted us to look like we knew what
we were doing whenever we were doing the cop stuff,
so it was important to them.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, and the show is super successful, but it almost
gets canceled.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Yeah midway through. What tell me about that moment.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Well, so we didn't even know we were successful until
the cancelation saga happened.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
You know.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
It was like the ratings were always like kind of
soft in the middle.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
And critically people loved it.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Yeah, critically people loved it.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
We had you know, the Golden Globe winds out of
the gate, but then like nothing after that, and so
we kinda we got some pickups I think in the
early seasons, but every year it was like are we
gonna make it? Are we gonna make it? Are we
gonna make it? And then we get canceled. Seasons is five?
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Season five? Right, okay?
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Yeah, after season five, so for season six we get
canceled and it it was a slow news day that
day it blows up on Twitter and our first reaction
in the group chat is like, holy shit, you guys,
I think people watch our show, like a lot of
people watch our show. But we were also on Hulu
at the time. Found out way later that like eight
(37:34):
million people were watching Brooklyn on Hulu when it was
on and you didn't know, and we.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Had no idea.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
We had no idea because Hulu wasn't a part of NBC.
They just had a contract to air us on Hulu,
so nobody it was in, you know, and then Hulu wasn't.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
I don't know if they couldn't.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Anyway, we had no idea that that many people were
watching the show.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
I was like, oh, we're a hit.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Show, Like, guys, guys, after a five seasons, I think
we might be a hit show.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
Look at all these fantas people that are tweeting about
the show.
Speaker 6 (38:07):
Yeah, this is crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
And and then Hulu was gonna It looked like Hulu
was gonna be the one that was gonna pick us up,
and then like they didn't. And it was like almost
midnight that night that next day, after we got canceled,
we got word that NBC was gonna.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Save the show.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
That's wild. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Like ever, no, no, And it really was, you know,
Perlina who still is over the head of NBC now,
you know, she was like one of three women that
just like went to work and like called everyone and.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
Like saved the show. And it was amazing, and it
was it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
And then we did three more seasons on NBC and yeah, amazing.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
It was nuts.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
It was nuts.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
I also saw that you were pregnant for some of filming,
and as someone who's had to deal with like breast
milk leaking on live television and everything else associated with
pregnancy on Motherhood, how was it for you when you
were pregnant and filming.
Speaker 4 (39:21):
It was great and also terrible. I was very lucky.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
The wardrobe department, the costume department at Brooklyn nine nine
had also done parks and rec and the office and
up all night. So when I told them I was pregnant,
they were like, oh great, here's what we're gonna do.
Like they were like, here's the routine. We're gonna get
you bigger jackets. It's greater in a pantsuit. It hides everything.
You know, we're gonna have like a series of sizes.
You just tell us when you want to size up
(39:48):
or need to size up.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
And they were.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
They made it so comfortable.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
I'm forever indebted to these women and grateful for them.
They just made me feel so good and normal about
my potty changing. Well, I'm shooting a television show, which
is a very vulnerable place to be in, and they
were just so chill about it, you know. I would
(40:16):
like the first few times had to ask for bigger pants,
they were just like.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
Oh, yep, we got that right here, like so nice.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
We put a little stretchy panel in it for you,
you know, like and they would look at me and
be like, yeah, totally can't tell.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
It looks great, like you're you're totally good.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
And I was like, oh god, I hope it's like
this for every woman on a show.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
I know it's not, but I really hope it is.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
And the first time I worked until I was like
nine months pregnant, which was intense.
Speaker 4 (40:41):
Right, ankles were enormous.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
I had really bad back pain both my pregnancies, and
that was hard.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
And it just was hard the long days and it
was I don't recommend it.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
Yeah, second time wasn't too bad because I actually just
worked during my second trimester. We did a shorter season
that year, and so I had my whole third trimester off, which.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
Was amazing and a gift.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
And then the pandemic happened, so I had like a
whole year maternity leave.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
But yeah, the.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
With my first son I went, we started, God what
season was that. It was like season four? I think
when my son was four months old, which was not
too bad.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
I had four.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Months home with him, which is amazing. And I think
a lot of people don't realize, like if you work
for a cool show with cool people and you just
had a baby and your baby's only like a week
or two weeks old, some will be like, hey, how
long do you want to stay home with your baby?
(41:47):
And they will like help make that happen, and other
shows will not.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
They will be like, oh.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
We are I know actresses that went back to work
like when their kids when their babies were like a
week or two weeks old, because that's when the show
was starting, and those are long days and nights, and
those are long days and nights and your body is
still healing, like I mean, it's wild. So I got
very lucky that the timing was just that our hiatus
(42:18):
was four months long, and so I got four months
with and so and I feel like they did ask
if I was okay to come back to work, like
when we were scheduled to start, and I was.
Speaker 4 (42:28):
Like yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, get me out
of this house please.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
I am ready. I am ready.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I need to pump while I'm there, but I'm ready
to get the buck.
Speaker 4 (42:37):
Out of here.
Speaker 3 (42:39):
And how did you meet your husband?
Speaker 1 (42:41):
I met my husband at the soap opera at One
Life to Live.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
They I'd been working there for about a year and
a half and they brought him back for a short
storyline for like three or four months. And yeah, and
we met and our friend Howier Morga kind of like
got us together. Like he just kept would he would
find out where I was hanging out with my friends
and he would come and bring David so that we
(43:06):
could hang out.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
And then yeah, that's how we started dating.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
I love that. And you have two kiddos. Are you
guys in La? Where where do you?
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (43:15):
We're based in La now?
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, And how is how is the town?
Speaker 1 (43:19):
It's well, uh, you know, it's it's it's definitely a
weird time. The fires were so devastating.
Speaker 4 (43:29):
It feels like.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
We're kind of getting to that point where a lot
of displaced people have at least figured out where to live.
And you know, I think the cleanup is underway.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
I don't know, it's just going to be so long.
I mean it's going to be years.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
These are entire towns that are no longer there, and
it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
And schools likes like school disruption.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
The school disruption.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
I have an actor friend whose son's school high school
burned down, and so he's a senior and he's going
to finish on Zoom.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Oh, you know there's a Yeah. So it's just really sad.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
And then also like the industry I think is still
really slow. There's not a ton shooting in LA. There's
these really great campaigns happening to try to bring work
back to LA and put pressure on lawmakers to extend
the money for incentives and also like put pressure on
producers to just shoot in LA. And so I hope
(44:41):
that happens because I feel like we've lost so many
crew members the last few years, and if we lose
our crews, like if they all leave LA, I don't
that's going to have such a huge impact on the industry,
on the town. There's so many other businesses that rely
on the industry being in town, you know. So I'm
(45:02):
hopeful it will change, but it's yeah that cities like
I feel like the city's going through it right now.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
I haven't been back since the fires, and I usually
go once or twice a year. When I go back,
will there be things that like are like I don't
recognize hmmm.
Speaker 4 (45:20):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Yeah, I mean, I mean the entire Palisades is gone.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Yeah, Like if I'm driving down PCH, like.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
You're gonna pass by just burnt ground, Like I'm really
really dreading it. I mean crazy, the PCH also the Palisides,
the Palisades, that whole village with all those like cute,
great restaurants, like you know, it was a very affluent neighborhood.
But it also was a beachy town too. It's you know,
we drive through it on our way to the beach
and sometimes stop there for dinner after the beach. And
(45:53):
right so it's and it's just all gone and all
ta Dina and all all of its history and what
it's meant for the black community specifically and black artists,
and so I really hope it all gets rebuilt. I
really hope the city does right by people. And you
(46:16):
know they do good things when it comes to taxes
and assessments and permits and all the stuff, right, Like,
we need them to do the right thing help and that. Yeah,
and we really need them to crack down on all
the price gouging with renters. And you know, it's like,
I feel like everyone's watching the city very closely right now,
(46:40):
and I hope like this is their moment to step
up and do the right thing, and I hope they
do well.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
I think you're right.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
The good news is a lot of people are watching,
and yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
That can help.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Well, I'm you know, we're rooting for you, guys and
pulling for you guys.
Speaker 3 (47:07):
Okay, let's finish with a lightning round. Ooh, okay, it's quick.
It's fine.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Love a lightning round, Love a lightning round.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
If you could play any role in a Broadway musical,
what would it be?
Speaker 1 (47:26):
Velma in Chicago ah or Anita in Westside Story.
Speaker 3 (47:31):
Ah ah Oh well I like them both so much.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Oh yeah, those are two great roles.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
I love that. I love that.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Okay, Well, I'll hope to see you in one of those.
I know you've said that Clue is one of your
favorite movies.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
It is also one of mine.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Who is the best character slash actor in Clue?
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Oh my god, that's an impossible thing to answer.
Speaker 3 (48:05):
I know, yeah, have a good one.
Speaker 4 (48:07):
You can save one Clue character, Missus White.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
Madelon Cohn. Yeah, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Yeah, steels everything sides of my face, heaving flames, flames.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Yeah, she's amazing. But also so is Tim Curry.
Speaker 4 (48:24):
So I mean all of them. But yeah, madel On
con it's it's.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Probably my favorite performance, and that her reactions to everything
are so good.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
But everyone, I mean.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
It is, it's it's an iconic movie. Every performance is
pitch perfect. I think I heard a rumor that they
were going to remake it, and I was like, don't
you fucking dare, don't you fucking dare.
Speaker 6 (48:47):
This is one of those that's the.
Speaker 4 (48:49):
Film not be touched.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
It's certainties that are perfect Clue when Harry met Sally,
like Forrest Gump, Like, there's certain movies that should not
be remade.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Well, I'm with you and oh no one, I mean
Leslie and Warren is so good in that film.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
I love her so much. Michael McKean.
Speaker 4 (49:10):
I mean yeah, I like literally all of them.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Everyone is perfectly cast and you could. No one could,
no one else could play them.
Speaker 3 (49:17):
Thank you, thank you very much. Yeah, okay, good. You
may or may not know this. I don't know. Don't
feel bad if you don't. What is the ten fifteen
in police code?
Speaker 4 (49:27):
I have no fucking idea.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
It's not gonna happen. Okay.
Speaker 1 (49:34):
The only one who would know what the police codes
meant was Stephanie Beatrice.
Speaker 3 (49:38):
Okay, okay, because she's like into it.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
She yeah, she did her homework. The rest of us
did not.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
Well.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
A ten to fifteen is prisoner in custody. That's all great. Okay.
What's the last thing you got mad at your husband for? Ooh,
I feel like annoyed. It doesn't have to be mad.
Speaker 4 (49:58):
Yeah, yeah, you don't have to get to.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
Deep into your marriag. Yeah, I know, when did you
almost get divorced?
Speaker 1 (50:04):
Super husband and dad these last few months? Because I've
been shooting in Atlanta and he's been like holding down
the fort, and.
Speaker 3 (50:14):
I get it, you know, I do.
Speaker 4 (50:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:18):
I just had an election year for which I was
mostly living in Philly to cover like swing state politics,
and so my husband was like holding down the fort,
and man, did that buy him a lot of like
a lot of goodwill.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, it can do almost anything they want,
can do almost anything.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
Now.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Yeah, so what's your perfect date night?
Speaker 1 (50:42):
Oh, my perfect date night.
Speaker 4 (50:45):
That's a good one.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
Probably getting a drink, like a really good cocktail somewhere
like yes, with somewhere that makes really good cocktails with David,
and then.
Speaker 4 (50:57):
I would help Yeah yeah, yeah, obviously, Okay with my husband.
Speaker 1 (51:03):
He's there, he's there, he's the one I'm I'm on
the date with good ok just to we're Claire. And
then dinner with friends because as much as I do love,
we just were social and we love we think it's
so fun to have dinner with this date so far
really like and then maybe like oh we haven't like
(51:24):
we love to dance and we haven't been dancing in
a long time.
Speaker 4 (51:27):
Maybe we go somewhere that's like cool.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
And we can dance and we don't feel like people
are you know, it's hard to find place with like
a good vibe. But like when someone's getting married, we're
like fuck yeah, we can't wait to Yes, Okay, I
love your date night.
Speaker 2 (51:43):
Get a good review or receive an award for your performance.
Speaker 1 (51:49):
Oh god, oh I oh that's I don't.
Speaker 4 (51:55):
I guess get a good review. Yeah, get a good review.
Speaker 3 (52:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Last question, this is the most important to me, culturally, spiritually,
all the reasons.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
When is it iced coffee season? It's important.
Speaker 4 (52:17):
As soon as it hits seventy four degrees.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (52:21):
Interesting, I'm from Massachusetts, born and raised on dungledonuts ice coffee.
Speaker 4 (52:32):
This should be come with a kaye.
Speaker 1 (52:33):
Okay, seventy four degrees in la is different than seventy
four degrees on the East Coast, So let me amend
my If you're on the West coast, it's when it
hits seventy four degrees. If you're on the East coast,
it's when it hits like.
Speaker 4 (52:47):
Sixty seven.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
Okay, I appreciate the math here. I will just say
that both of these answers are wrong. The answer is
year round.
Speaker 4 (52:55):
It's year round, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
You are a little bit crazy if you are ordering
an iced coffee in the middle of a blizzard, dead
of winter, dead of win, dead of winter.
Speaker 4 (53:08):
Yeah, you're on another level.
Speaker 3 (53:10):
I'm on another level.
Speaker 4 (53:11):
Yeah, but it's real.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
I mean, it's really I never I almost never want
a hot coffee.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
What always want it iced?
Speaker 4 (53:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (53:18):
Because I want to drink it quickly. Why, Okay, I've
jumped it into my veins.
Speaker 4 (53:23):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that. I get that.
Speaker 3 (53:25):
I want to be able to not have to worry
about it burning me.
Speaker 4 (53:29):
Yeah yeah, no not.
Speaker 3 (53:30):
But you're the first.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
We've asked this a lot, and it's got a lot
of responses. You're the first person who's who's given an
actual temperature degree.
Speaker 4 (53:39):
Well, because I like it.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Weather.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
It be crazy now with climate change. So you know,
you can't say spring anymore. No, you can have to
doesn't mean anything, doesn't mean anything. You can have a
seventy degree day in January.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Yeah, you don't know.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
Science Halloween, it could be eighty degrees outside, that's right,
and you might need an ic coffee.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Lissa, this was so fun. Thank you for joining us
off the cup.
Speaker 4 (54:00):
Thank you so much. It was so fun.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Good luck with Gross Point Garden Society. I cannot wait
to get into it. What did I call g GPGS.
Speaker 1 (54:11):
Yeah, GPGS GPG On Peacock, you can binge the first
three episodes, or you can watch them live on Sunday
nights at ten pm. I do think it's fun show
to also watch one at a time because a lot
happens each episode.
Speaker 3 (54:25):
Yeah, and some people really like to hang on.
Speaker 4 (54:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:27):
I think it works for both camps of people. It
works for the bingers, and it works for the people
that want to like watch and digest for.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
A few days in real time. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well excellent. Well, good luck with everything, and.
Speaker 6 (54:39):
Thank you again.
Speaker 4 (54:40):
Thanks, have a great.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Day next week. On Off the Cup, I talked to
Rob Morrow.
Speaker 5 (54:46):
I shoot thirteen hours, and I'd go home and I'd
look at the next seven, eight, ten pages. I had
to learn, you know, with all this medical jargon that
I didn't even know how to pronounce, let alone knew
what it meant, you know, and I'd have to sit
there and figure out out and then you know, pass
out on my bed with these medical encyclopedias.
Speaker 3 (55:04):
Harmy, Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (55:09):
Off the Cup is a production of iHeart Podcasts as
part of the Reason Choice Network.
Speaker 3 (55:13):
If you want more, check out the other.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
Reason Choice podcasts Spolitics with Jamel Hill and Native Land Pod.
For Off the Cup, I am your host, Si Cup.
Editing and sound design by Derek Clements. Our executive producers
are me Se Cup, Lauren Hanson, and Lindsay Hoffman. Rate
and review wherever you get your podcasts, Follow or subscribe
for new episodes every Wednesday.
We didn't even know we were successful until the cancelation
saga happened.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome to Off the Cup, my personal anti anxiety antidote.
So I just launched a new substack. Guys, I don't
have enough jobs, but this is cool because it's all
about TV.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I love TV. I've spent my career on TV, but.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I never get to talk about TV.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
So that's what I'm going to do over there.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'll talk about the news, some behind the scenes stuff.
I'll talk about the TV business and.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Where it's going. Spoiler alert nowhere good.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
We'll talk about TV shows because I watch things other
than the news, if you can believe it, Like I
have a review up now of with Love Megan.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
It's a doozy.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So anyway, join me over on substack to talk TV.
And I bring this up over here to say that
I'm going to be watching a lot more TV as well.
And one of the shows I'm really excited about is
Gross Point Garden Society, which is airing now on NBC
and it looks so fun, sort of a sort of
(01:11):
an only Murders vibe, but like in the tony suburbs
of Detroit.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It is in my queue for sure. And one of
the stars of that show.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Is my next guest, Melissa Fumero. She's an actress, television director.
You may know her from One Life to Live or
Brooklyn ninety nine. Melissa, Welcome to Off the Cop.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Yay, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yay. I'm I'm excited there you're here, and I'm I'm
really excited to start watching GPGS, which is what I'm
gonna call it.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Are you guys calling it GPGS?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, that's what we call it.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yeah, or sometimes we're just like Garden Society or yeah,
GPGS GBGS.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
How is the show going.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
It's good.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
We are about to start shooting episode twelve.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
We're doing thirteen, so we're nearing the end.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Episode ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen are crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Oh yes, yes, I can't.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, it's uh.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
I think people should know that the.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Timelines are going to converge at a certain point around
these later episodes, and it will show you all of
the events, everything that's transpired in sequence.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Will come together. Yes, okay, good intel.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yeah, there's a couple there's a few episodes where we
don't time jump and we just stay with the big
night of the Gala and everything after. So it's really good,
and it fills in all the gaps between the scenes
that you've seen up to that point.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's really great.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
So it's Yeah, it's just like a fun, you know, thrilling,
kind of addicting show. It's good maybe that you haven't
started it yet because it is a fun I think
show to also binge.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
That's what I'm planning on doing.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, because we've.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Got Yeah, we we have fun with some cliffhangers every episode.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
So yeah, and are you you're filming in Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, we're filming in Atlanta. Yeah, this is my first
time working in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Have you been to Gross Pointe, Michigan?
Speaker 4 (03:19):
I have not. I I've been sure if you have,
I mean very if you have. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Our show runner Bill Krebs is from Gross point and
so I think that was the main point of inspiration.
He really wanted to kind of use it as a
background of you know, I mean, I think there's so
many towns like this that have, like a very that
are very affluent neighborhoods, but also have a part of
(03:45):
their town that is, you know, maybe lower middle class,
lower class and sort of how those two classes converge
or don't.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It's the strangest place. I lived in Michigan for some time,
so I have been there.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
It is wild. I mean it is so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, it is so affluent, but like a block away
is like inner city Detroit, right, and it's it's the
wildest and there are towns like that, but it's the
wildest sort of like clearest delineation between the haves and
the have nots that I've ever seen because of the proximity.
(04:23):
It's not like this tony town is like twenty minutes
out in the excerps.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
It's like right there. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, So I think that's what inspired an interested bill
and that we kind of get a little more into
as the season goes on. But yeah, it's just yeah,
that like weird upper class society.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I love it as a setting. You've seen Gross Point Blank,
I assume.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I mean very long ago when I was very young, but.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yeah, the same same. It was a cool movie.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
And a lot of people are cool. U is this
like that?
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
No?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
No, no, no, but it's like the only reference most people
have right for Gross Point Michigan.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, and they just assume that we're connected somehow because
I'm kind of like seql, it's such a it's such
a random place, and they're like, oh, there is this
a Is this a offshoot of the movie, And it's like, nope,
no location, totally different, totally different.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
So how did this role come to you?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Gosh, you know, this was the like hot pilot in
town that was circulating the season after the strikes, when
everybody was out of work and everybody was hungry, and
so there definitely was this feeling of like, oh God,
am I even going to get to read for this,
because like everyone is available right now, everybody's going to
(05:50):
want to read for this. And I read it, and
you know, uh, it's it's I don't especially the last
decade I've been working in comedy so much so there's
not a ton of hour longs that come kind of
to me.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
So I was excited to read it.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I was excited at the potential of doing something really different,
and I just thought the script was so fun to read,
and I wanted to know what happened next. I was like,
I want to know, not just like who they murder,
I wanted to know what was going to happen with
Catherine and her husband. I wanted to know what was
going to happen with Bertie and her son. I wanted
to know, you know, if Alice and Brett were really
going to get together or if she was going to
(06:29):
work it out with her husband. Like, so it just
was kind of fun and juicy that way, and I
was really intrigued. And Bertie felt like a really really
different role than the stuff I normally get asked to do,
And so that's always exciting as an actor to get
(06:49):
to show people you can do something else, that you
actually are just an actor who can do more than
the last thing they saw you as.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
It's like the whole job is being able to do
more than one character.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Right, yep, yep, that's like literally what we trained for.
But you know you kind of like are only as
good as the last thing you were in.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
People tend to think you can only do that.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So that was like an exciting opportunity and I felt
and like and also just exciting too because I felt
like I was like this, this feels like this has
a real shot of like going a series because he's
just a pilot.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Yeah, I was like.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
This, if this is done right and it could be
shot really beautifully and like the Garden aspect is fun
and everything I hoped for ended up transpiring and it
was just like a dream.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Oh I love that.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Well, I want to talk more about all of your work,
but first let's go back a little.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I always like to ask what kind of kid were you?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Ah, oh I was. I think I was a very
hyper kid, silly goofy.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I think.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I got into dance at a very young age, and
so that was a big part of my life throughout childhood,
pretty close to my family. Like, you know, I kinda
had a great childhood. Like I guess I'm the exception
in this industry.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I know. I feel like actors feel bad when they
have to say like we.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Feel like we're supposed to like be to like ya,
and that's where we like build our art from.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Okay, it's great that you had a great childhood.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Had a pretty great childhood and up there in New
Jersey and uh, you know, I think Jersey.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Is kind of a tough place sometimes to live.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
But like outside of that, you know, but you when
that's all you know, you're just like this is how
everybody is. Everybody's a little rude to each other and
yells at each other, and it's like you know, fights
happen everywhere's like this, right.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
And you had two immigrant parents from Cuba.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Yeah, I had two immigrant parents from Cuba and the
town I grew up, and even though it was like
not the most diverse place, I did grow up with
a lot of people who had parents or grandparents from somewhere.
So I didn't feel kind of othered that my parents
had accents. I was just like, oh, like, so many
people who live here have a parent or grandparent with
(09:17):
an accent.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
And yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
It wasn't until like I got older that I was like, oh, wait,
hold on, I think maybe everyone's just been assuming I'm
Italian up.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Until this point.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I think likely in New Jersey, my mom's sting Jersey
and Italian, It's likely they just thought you were.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
My last name was Gallo and I look like this,
So I think I was saved from perhaps a different
experience than some of the other Latinos in my town, yeah,
or people of color in my town, because I think
that there was like I remember the moment in high
school I was like, I think I.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Think a lot of people just assume I'm Battalian.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I've been skating by this time, because there was a
time well it still is, like Italians are maybe the
last group of people you can totally make fun.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Of because they all make fun of themselves and everyone
because we do.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
We do, and I'm Italian.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And then the Sopranos.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
So my parents, my mom is from New Jersey, the
Sopranos come around, and suddenly Italians from New Jersey are
either Jersey Shore like Snookie or they're all the Sopranos.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, and that was a wild time those those shows
were on TV. And yes, and I just remember all
the Italians I grew up with be like, huh, I'm.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Not I'm not either of these.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
But what is our identity right now?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
What is it? Well, it's pretty cemented because of those
two things at this point. Tell me about tell me
what happens when you see the Secret Garden on Broadway.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
So my parents, luckily are of the arts. My mom
comes from a very big artistic family.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
There's a lot of like artists and sculptors and back
visual artists in her family. So they were the kind
of people that already went to museums and loved going
to theater. So when I was ten, I guess they decided, oh,
she's probably old enough to sit through a Broadway show.
Let's take her to the Secret Garden. And you know,
(11:27):
I think every actor has that moment where you see
something that makes you go, I want to do that.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
That's what I want to do. I should be up there.
I want to be up there. And that was the
experience for me.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And I was obsessed with the show and would listen
to the soundtrack NonStop. And I had a secret jour
I had a journal that was a Secret Garden themed
and I mean just and I just started fantasizing so
much about performing. And I think because I was dancing
at the time, it was.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
That, oh, you could be an actor who dances.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah yea related, yeah, like you you could, you could
do all the things you don't have to like just
be an actor in TV and movies.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
It was just amazing. And it was such a beautiful
show too.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Yeah uh.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
And then they took me to their credit like they
were so supportive. They took me to a Broadway show
once a year every year after that until I was
like in college, like that was our thing.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
That's so great, and you know, it's not for everyone.
I was also ten when I saw my first Broadway show.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
It was Le Miz, which is like a very adult that's.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
A very adult heavy lots is gonna go over your head.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Yeah, like when I tell you I fucking loved it,
Like oh the ten I also danced ballet later professionally,
so that like really became my identity. But yeah, that
was like that imprinted on me so early, so fast,
and I've loved musicals ever since.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
And now I have a ten year old.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I know you have a nine year old maybe, and
I'm I'm wondering, like, Okay, what is the trick to
get him to go to a musical?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Like which one should I take him to first?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
It definitely should not be Lea Mis I know my kid. No,
I'm thinking like Aladdin or something.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
I'm in the same boat where I'm like, oh, I
can't mess this up exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Its like, I will definitely mess this up if I
do it wrong.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
I've got to pick the perfect show to hook him into.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
What are you thinking Live Theater is cool? Aladdin? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Wait, there's another one that people really like. Oh, I've
heard the Back to the Future one is really great.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
And who knows that money I need? I need one
to be funny also.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Same, yeah, but like funny for kids, like.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Funny for kids where they're gonna get it. They're gonna
get get.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
The show's funny. I love that show. But he didn't
get those jokes.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
No, he yeah, my kid might because he unfortunately gets
all of the jokes all this. He my husband let
him watch Deadpool and I was like, this is so inappropriate,
and he laughed at every single joke and completely got it.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
And I have been terrified ever since.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
That's great, my ten year old. I asked him, yes,
the other day, do you know what sex is? And
he said, yeah, it's acting cute, right, exactly, That's exactly it.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Yep, you are correct, You are correct acting cute.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
Acting cute.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
So how successful when you finally decided as a kid
you loved this you wanted.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
To do it. Were you successful at it early or was.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
It not until after college that you, you know, started
seeing I can do this.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Ooh, that's a good question.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I think.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
I started to have enough moments to give me confidence,
enough confidence to say I think I'm going to be
an acting major in college. Because I went back and
forth between like should I major in dance or should
I major in acting and dance gave me a lot
of confidence too, even though just because you know the
thing when you're naturally good at dance and you know,
(15:29):
and there's there's a lot of dance that can't like
really be taught, like you.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Either have it or you don't.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And I had it to a degree, but I think
that coming naturally to me gave me a lot of confidence.
And then there would be in the acting classes I
was doing at the time or the shows I was in,
there were moments where I would like have a line,
but the teacher would single it out and be like
that was so honest the way you said that, Like
(15:56):
did everyone notice the way you know?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
And I was like, oh do I is there something heres?
The best feelings, the best kids? Yeah, And they kind
of kept happening and so, and I really loved movies
and television and so, and then I felt like my body,
I wasn't a good enough dancer maybe to major in dance,
(16:19):
and I had some injuries and I was like, I
don't know if my body will I don't know if
my body's actually built for dance. So I decided to
be a theater major. But I wanted to do a
musical theater program so I could continue dancing, and I
was like, I'll figure out the singing part.
Speaker 6 (16:38):
And I kind of.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Did do that.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yeah, I could sing good enough, I guess, and then yeah,
I think getting accepted to n YU was also like
another big moment of oh. And I think for my
parents too. Getting into NYU was like, oh shit, maybe
she's like she can do this.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Like she's got a serious program.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Yeah, she got into a good and they you know,
my mom went with me to the audition. There were
so many kids there, and I think that they were like, yeah,
there's no way. And I would also be said I
would tell them too. I would say I would say,
I'm only doing this because I just want to.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I don't want to ever wonder. I don't want to.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Ever wonder what if I had auditioned and gotten in.
So I was like, that's the only reason I'm doing this.
I know I'm not going to get into this school.
I know how competitive it is and it's really hard
and it's really expensive. I was already going to University
Arts in Philadelphia. I had my tuition deposit in. Yeah,
I was like, I'm good. You really didn't expect to
get in. I really didn't expect to get in. I
(17:35):
was like, I'm good, I'm going to go to that school.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
It's going to be great. You know, I really like it.
Living in Philly is going to be cool.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
And then yeah, I got the acceptance letter and we
just all like screamed you die, because those.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Are like those are the bast when you don't expect.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I've had one of those in my life where like
I'm like, there's no way I'm not going to get this.
I don't even deserve this, Like I'm not as good
as everyone else here, and then someone's like looking out
for you man, or you surprise yourself and you get
into the thing you never thought it is, Like I
mean I relive that feeling over and over and over again.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Oh yeah, I think it's also like not cursed me.
But in general, I tend to kind of have this
attitude of like I'd rather be surprised than disappointed.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Yeah, so I'm constantly like I'm not gonna get.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
That doting expectations.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah that like, you know, I'm having this amazing experience
on gross points, so I'm like, yeah, we're probably gonna
need to canceled, like we're not gonna get canceled where
I hope we don't.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
I really hope we get to do more.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
But it's so good and it's like such a fun
show to work on, and everyone that's working on it
is so amazing.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I'm like, you don't want it to go away?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I'd rather be surprised.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
You know, celeres and mine are business is of a
lot of rejection. So it's better as a defense mechanism
sometimes to just like not get too attached until you're
in like the eighth season, I.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
Swear, I swear I was like that on Brooklyn. Every year.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
I was like, we're gonna a canceled, Like this is
too much fun, this is going too well, like there's
no way, you know, And I still couldn't believe it.
By the time I got to the last season it
was and ninety percent of the jobs I book, and
including Brooklyn, I go, well, probably not going to get those, like.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
You know I do.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
I totally get that. I totally relate to that. Okay,
we'll get to Brooklyn nine nine.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
But first you graduate, I think the first thing you
do is one life to live, Is that right?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (19:28):
So I started auditioning.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I got an agent a little bit before I graduated,
and I was auditioning, and I had screen tested for
another soap opera and didn't get it. And because I
was sort of also like the very you know, they
would see college students a lot, it was like an
easy audition to kind of get into. And then I
auditioned for One Life and I screen tested and I
found out that I got the job, which was going
(19:51):
to be a four year contract. Like whoa the day
I took my last exam, well, it was wild.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
It was wild.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Was that tip Like if you're in a college acting program,
is it typical that you'll work kind of right away?
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Or no?
Speaker 1 (20:08):
No, everybody, all my friends were like trying to figure out,
like do I get a waitressing job?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Or you know, everyone was trying to figure out what
their survival job after school was going to be, right
and going to open calls and you know, waking up
early and going to dance calls and like theater gig
calls and which I was also doing. And then this
just happened out of the blue kind and I mean
that's what it felt like. I was just auditioning, not
thinking I was going to book anything because I was
(20:36):
graduating and I was so young and then so it
was wild to get that call.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
And then it just set me on this.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Other path, like away from theater, right and away from
dance and more towards television, which you know, looking back,
obviously I'm so grateful for, but at the time, I
was like, oh, like kind of just reconfiguring everything in
my brain, just going, wait, maybe I won't do theater.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Maybe I'll do this. I don't know if it's gonna
be soap opera.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And I remember telling myself too, I was only going
to do one contract.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
I was not going to do more. I was going
to do my four years. I was going to save money.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
I was going to pay off my student loans, and
then I was, you know, going to try to be
like an actor because I also was aware that, like
you could get stuck in the in the soap world
for a long time.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
I was going to ask you, like, it's it's a
great world to get stuck in.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
It's you know, listen, It's like I said, right, I've
paid off my student loans, I got to learn how
to work with multiple cameras and like exact relationalities.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Shooting a lot and you're memorizing a lot of lines,
and super fact, you get a great character.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
You could play that character for a long time.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
But yeah, some actors don't want to get stuck in
soaps and they want to move on to other things.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
So you were sort of figuring.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Out, how do I navigate this where I take advance
of this, but I don't let this become the last
thing I do.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I think my fear at the time was if I
tell myself when my contract is up, oh, I'll just
do one more, then every time I'll say, oh, just
one more, right, just one more?
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Oh, just one more.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
So you gave yourself a cap.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
I gave myself a cap. He said, there's no way
we're doing more than one contract. We're just doing the
one contract if we make it to the end. Because
also lots of people get fired on soaps. Yea, and
then we're moving on and we're just because it was
again that thing of I don't ever want to wonder
what if ye for me?
Speaker 4 (22:36):
And I know there's a listen.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
I have a lot of friends who've done soaps for
years and years and years, and they love it and
they're so happy, and they've built beautiful, amazing lives getting
paid to do what they love to do.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
And I don't judge that at all. It just wasn't
for me.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
I needed to know for sure if I could make
it in this business and make a career in this
business outside of that world.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, So tell me about uh, tell me about Gossip Girl.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
What that set was like?
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Oo wild? Uh? You know that was probably the first.
Speaker 6 (23:16):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
It was the first like.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Really big show I had ever worked on in terms
of scale, in terms of budget.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Felt like they had a lot of money on that show.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah, just from like the sets and the crew and
the cameras, and you know, it felt expensive. The wardrobe,
it felt expensive. I have no idea if it actually was,
If it wasn't, Like, kudos to them. They did an
amazing job making that show look really expensive.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
And and I came in, you know.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Kind of at the height of their popularity and power,
And there was every time we shot outside, there was paparazzi.
There was gaggles of team age girls right wait, waiting
by the trailers for hours just to see someone.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I mean, it was I didn't know it could be
like that. It was such a cultural phenomenon at that time,
and I was just trying to like show up and
do a good job.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And I was like, this is crazy, but everybody was,
you know, it was lovely, It was it was It
was a weird set for me in terms of just
feeling a little isolated.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
And you know, again, I think they were so worried.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
About like leaks and stuff, so I wouldn't even get
the whole script.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I would just get my sides.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
And I was like, I remember there was one episode
where I had a scene that made no sense to me.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
I was like, what is happening?
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Can I get the scripts so I can see what
happens before and after this? Yeah, And they like gave
me a little bit of trouble. They were like, oh no,
we don't, you know, give any anyone besides the regulars
the scripts. And I was like, but I don't understand
my scene.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
So for listeners, sides or of just your.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Part, your part, your scenes that you're going to do
in the show. And so they would just give me
my but they're out of context for you, right, you have.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
No idea, you know. And it was like a random
scene where I was with.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
A different character that I had never acted with before,
and I was like, what, why am I meeting with him?
What is happening before this? I know, how do I
know this person?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
How do I know to go to him?
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Did he call me?
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Is he?
Speaker 2 (25:29):
And that?
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Are we conspiring?
Speaker 3 (25:32):
And we were?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
It was like we were conspiring and you know, but yeah,
and then finally they gave me the script and there
was like a scene that made it make more sense sense.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
So it was just like it was I've never I
don't think I've ever experienced anything like that show.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Since I've heard that a lot from folks who have
walked on or done cameos or small roles on that
show that it's just a it was a wild experience.
And yeah, we're a couple of years apart, so I
know that you didn't grow up with social media and
like cancel culture because I didn't either. But it came
just as I was entering, you know, broadcast journalism, and
(26:12):
it was terrifying right to you. And I'm thinking now,
like I'm thinking about the snow White hullabaloo, much of
which came from it's stars, social media and interviews and
stuff that she said, and I just wonder, like how
much you worry about what you say, maybe even in
(26:34):
podcasts like this or on the red carpet or on
your social media, because it just feels like danger is
around every corner.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, it is, and I think we live in such
intensely polarizing times and it is scary.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
You do find yourself. I'm doing it right now, carefully, Yeah,
I get it. What how to say what you want?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
How you say what you want to say, and what
you think? Because it's it is this balancing act I
think of you. You're a public person with a very
public job, and there's responsibility that comes with that, right
What the degree of that responsibility is debatable amongst different
(27:27):
groups of people, right right on one spectrum you have
the shut up and act people.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
And you have the other people.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
The other side is like, you have a platform, you
have a responsibility to help lend a voice to people
that don't have as big of a voice, right, and
you have to find where you fit into that spectrum.
And then as a personal person, you have your own
passions and your views and you know your opinions, and
it's this balancing act of how do I use my
(27:57):
platform and what what is big enough or important enough
for me to speak out about or lend a voice
to or amplify. And you know how much am I
willing to risk my career, you know, like my ability
(28:20):
to get hired you know how people are going to
view me in future jobs, you know. And Yeah, I
think it's an interesting topic and conversation. And I don't
think that there's actually any wrong answers, right, because you
could also debate like, yeah, it might, it might affect
your career, or maybe the people that like aren't afraid
(28:44):
of that shit and like, you know, have similar values
as you are going to be the ones that hire
you in the future. Like yeah, you know, I don't know.
I don't know what the answer is, and I don't
think anyone does.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
No, and I don't either.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
And I've seen my husband's and in crisis calm, so
I kind of see this from like all the sides.
And I'm in a business where I literally put my
opinions out there, right, and you know, to all kinds
of consequences from death threats to you know, fans, But yeah,
it just feels like in your business in particular, you
(29:19):
don't know what's going to work. You don't know what's
going to you know, really jeopardize your standing, whether it's
this political opinion or that political opinion.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
And maybe if you're.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Number one on the call sheet, you get more you
have more leeway, or maybe you get more scrutiny. Like
it just feels like a very fraught Yeah, time to
be Yeah, not an actor, but a real person, a
real person in a in a business where people want
you to reveal a lot about yourself, and like, how
(29:51):
do you do that in a way that's both smart
but true to yourself? And yeah, it just feels like
you could have circular arguments in your head all day
about it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Oh, you absolutely can, and I have, yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
And.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
I think I'm still figuring so much of it out
and it changes and evolves, and you know, like even
our kids, we don't like super hide our kids. We've
we've had some pictures of them when they were babies,
like on social media here and there. But then it
got to the point as they got older while I
(30:24):
was like, oh, I don't think I feel good about
this anymore, and like we kind of changed our stance
and we you know, started not posting them anymore because
I felt like I was like their face is changing
into more what they're probably going to look like when
they're teenagers, and I don't think I want them to
be recognizable, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
It's like the whole debate you have.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
So I also think it's like this thing that evolves,
like as you grow older, as you go along, as
your career changes of like you know, yeah, and it
and it.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
Is like I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
I mean, I think there's some people that have like
so many crazy talent and power and they can say
probably whatever the fuck they want, you know, like.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
That's a thing too that for them.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
I love that for them. I love that for them.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
It's like the actors that don't have to be on
social media.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Yeah, and I have zero fucks to give. I'm like, so.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Zero fucks to give, and like still win an oscar
every year, and I'm like, yeah, cool, maybe if I'm
winning Oscars, I won't be on social media either, but.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Like at least recognize that, like don't be like a
non social Like it's like.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Like you just get you don't have to be I
have to be, okay, totally, Like I tell people to
watch my show.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
So I so get that. Okay. So sorry for that diversion.
I'm just fascinat No. But I want to talk about
Brooklyn nine nine.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
You're cast in the pilot opposite Andy Samberg.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
He was a big deal at the time. He still
is fresh office, yeah, fresh off SNL. This was a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
How excited slash nervous were you for this opportunity?
Speaker 4 (31:57):
Terrified?
Speaker 3 (31:58):
You were terrified?
Speaker 4 (31:59):
I was terrified.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
I I so when I auditioned for Amy, she was
kind of like a confident, like tougher version of the
Amy that eventually ended up being on the show. I
feel like you can kind of see hints of it
in the very early episodes of season one, and I
don't know if this is actually what happened, but the
(32:21):
story I told myself was the writer saw how fucking
nervous I was all throughout the pilot and the beginning
of the series, and they just kept writing more and
more nervous, awkward moments for Amy that that became like
a staple part of her character. And maybe it's just
(32:44):
I don't know, Maybe they would say it was something different,
but I was like, damn, man, I'm not pulling this off.
They see how freaking scared I am right through me.
They see right through me. I'm there hazing me right now, right.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
But yeah, because it really rounded out your character and
created some layers that might not have been there on
the page.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it gave me a place to
funnel all of that nervous energy.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Yeah. Yeah too.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I used to just like be sweaty sometimes as Amy,
and I was like, why am I sweating? Like just
because I'm so anxious and I'm every muscle in my
body is clenched.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
His body is working hard beneath the surface.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
I am working a little too hard.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
But I was.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
I was really intimidated. I honestly was intimidated by almost everyone.
I was intimidated by Andy. He was coming right off
of Estenel. He was such a big deal. I was
intimidated by Andre the Great Andre Brower, And there was
also so much hype and buzz around Andre doing a comedy.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Terry Crews felt larger than life.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
I was a huge fan of Joela Trulio's like forever
since forever, and I was like, I can't believe I
get to act with him, And like Chelsea was so
funny and stef and he was such an amazing actor
and so funny, and everyone just felt like they knew
what they were doing. Yeah, And I was like, man,
I'm gonna have to fake it till I make it, man, Like,
I just really got to pretend like I also, I
(34:12):
also know what I am doing.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Here, right, I mean that's a good survival skill.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Yeah, so you got I read you got police training.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
I know a bunch of like actors who've done doctor
shows and they go to like a doctor school for actors.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
What was your police training? Like?
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, it was fun. I mean it was pretty light.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
It was these two x LAPD detectives that were consultants
on our show pretty much for like the whole run
of the show. Also, they would pop in every time
we were doing a police chase or arresting someone just
to you know, give us little adjustments. Yeah, but it
was Yeah, they took us.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Oh, this is fun. They took us. When we were
doing the pilot, we went on.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
The Parks and Rec set because Parks and Rec was
still on, we went on their sets. So we're in
the like office set of Parks and Rec. And they're
teaching us how to hold our guns, how to clear
corners as a group. Oh, my god, how to like
clear a space, which was hilarious because there were so
many times where we'll be like, no, no, no, you don't
(35:15):
stand there.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Because you'll get shot.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
You are in the line of fire.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
You are in the line of fire. You can never
be in the line of fire. So you have to
stand over here. And we're like, oh, oh, yeah, that
makes sense, you know, and like let's say the suspect
is in this room, and how would you get from
here to there? And so it was like a lot
of that. We did that for like a couple hours.
Speaker 4 (35:36):
It was really fun.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
And also I was like, I can't believe I'm on
the set of Parking Parks and right with a gun,
right with a fake gun, like clearing corners and you know,
funning like clear and then there was like how do
you go around the person that clears you to like
the next part, Like it was all those little like
tips and tricks and how to hank somebody.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
And they had like a little dummy.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
There I think for us to practice like arresting and handcuffing,
and yeah, it was fun. It was just stuff like that,
just so that you know, pulling out our gun, how
to holster our gun all.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Those does look ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Yeah, little things, so that we just didn't it didn't
take away from the scenes. The Mike Sure and Dan
Gore really wanted us to look like we knew what
we were doing whenever we were doing the cop stuff,
so it was important to them.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, and the show is super successful, but it almost
gets canceled.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Yeah midway through. What tell me about that moment.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Well, so we didn't even know we were successful until
the cancelation saga happened.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
You know.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
It was like the ratings were always like kind of
soft in the middle.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
And critically people loved it.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Yeah, critically people loved it.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
We had you know, the Golden Globe winds out of
the gate, but then like nothing after that, and so
we kinda we got some pickups I think in the
early seasons, but every year it was like are we
gonna make it? Are we gonna make it? Are we
gonna make it? And then we get canceled. Seasons is five?
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Season five? Right, okay?
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Yeah, after season five, so for season six we get
canceled and it it was a slow news day that
day it blows up on Twitter and our first reaction
in the group chat is like, holy shit, you guys,
I think people watch our show, like a lot of
people watch our show. But we were also on Hulu
at the time. Found out way later that like eight
(37:34):
million people were watching Brooklyn on Hulu when it was
on and you didn't know, and we.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Had no idea.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
We had no idea because Hulu wasn't a part of NBC.
They just had a contract to air us on Hulu,
so nobody it was in, you know, and then Hulu wasn't.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
I don't know if they couldn't.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Anyway, we had no idea that that many people were
watching the show.
Speaker 4 (37:56):
I was like, oh, we're a hit.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Show, Like, guys, guys, after a five seasons, I think
we might be a hit show.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
Look at all these fantas people that are tweeting about
the show.
Speaker 6 (38:07):
Yeah, this is crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
And and then Hulu was gonna It looked like Hulu
was gonna be the one that was gonna pick us up,
and then like they didn't. And it was like almost
midnight that night that next day, after we got canceled,
we got word that NBC was gonna.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Save the show.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
That's wild. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Like ever, no, no, And it really was, you know,
Perlina who still is over the head of NBC now,
you know, she was like one of three women that
just like went to work and like called everyone and.
Speaker 4 (38:43):
Like saved the show. And it was amazing, and it
was it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
And then we did three more seasons on NBC and yeah, amazing.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
It was nuts.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
It was nuts.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
I also saw that you were pregnant for some of filming,
and as someone who's had to deal with like breast
milk leaking on live television and everything else associated with
pregnancy on Motherhood, how was it for you when you
were pregnant and filming.
Speaker 4 (39:21):
It was great and also terrible. I was very lucky.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
The wardrobe department, the costume department at Brooklyn nine nine
had also done parks and rec and the office and
up all night. So when I told them I was pregnant,
they were like, oh great, here's what we're gonna do.
Like they were like, here's the routine. We're gonna get
you bigger jackets. It's greater in a pantsuit. It hides everything.
You know, we're gonna have like a series of sizes.
You just tell us when you want to size up
(39:48):
or need to size up.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
And they were.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
They made it so comfortable.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
I'm forever indebted to these women and grateful for them.
They just made me feel so good and normal about
my potty changing. Well, I'm shooting a television show, which
is a very vulnerable place to be in, and they
were just so chill about it, you know. I would
(40:16):
like the first few times had to ask for bigger pants,
they were just like.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
Oh, yep, we got that right here, like so nice.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
We put a little stretchy panel in it for you,
you know, like and they would look at me and
be like, yeah, totally can't tell.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
It looks great, like you're you're totally good.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
And I was like, oh god, I hope it's like
this for every woman on a show.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
I know it's not, but I really hope it is.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
And the first time I worked until I was like
nine months pregnant, which was intense.
Speaker 4 (40:41):
Right, ankles were enormous.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
I had really bad back pain both my pregnancies, and
that was hard.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
And it just was hard the long days and it
was I don't recommend it.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
Yeah, second time wasn't too bad because I actually just
worked during my second trimester. We did a shorter season
that year, and so I had my whole third trimester off, which.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
Was amazing and a gift.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
And then the pandemic happened, so I had like a
whole year maternity leave.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
But yeah, the.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
With my first son I went, we started, God what
season was that. It was like season four? I think
when my son was four months old, which was not
too bad.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
I had four.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Months home with him, which is amazing. And I think
a lot of people don't realize, like if you work
for a cool show with cool people and you just
had a baby and your baby's only like a week
or two weeks old, some will be like, hey, how
long do you want to stay home with your baby?
(41:47):
And they will like help make that happen, and other
shows will not.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
They will be like, oh.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
We are I know actresses that went back to work
like when their kids when their babies were like a
week or two weeks old, because that's when the show
was starting, and those are long days and nights, and
those are long days and nights and your body is
still healing, like I mean, it's wild. So I got
very lucky that the timing was just that our hiatus
(42:18):
was four months long, and so I got four months
with and so and I feel like they did ask
if I was okay to come back to work, like
when we were scheduled to start, and I was.
Speaker 4 (42:28):
Like yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, get me out
of this house please.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
I am ready. I am ready.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I need to pump while I'm there, but I'm ready
to get the buck.
Speaker 4 (42:37):
Out of here.
Speaker 3 (42:39):
And how did you meet your husband?
Speaker 1 (42:41):
I met my husband at the soap opera at One
Life to Live.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
They I'd been working there for about a year and
a half and they brought him back for a short
storyline for like three or four months. And yeah, and
we met and our friend Howier Morga kind of like
got us together. Like he just kept would he would
find out where I was hanging out with my friends
and he would come and bring David so that we
(43:06):
could hang out.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
And then yeah, that's how we started dating.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
I love that. And you have two kiddos. Are you
guys in La? Where where do you?
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (43:15):
We're based in La now?
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, And how is how is the town?
Speaker 1 (43:19):
It's well, uh, you know, it's it's it's definitely a
weird time. The fires were so devastating.
Speaker 4 (43:29):
It feels like.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
We're kind of getting to that point where a lot
of displaced people have at least figured out where to live.
And you know, I think the cleanup is underway.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
I don't know, it's just going to be so long.
I mean it's going to be years.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
These are entire towns that are no longer there, and
it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
And schools likes like school disruption.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
The school disruption.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
I have an actor friend whose son's school high school
burned down, and so he's a senior and he's going
to finish on Zoom.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Oh, you know there's a Yeah. So it's just really sad.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
And then also like the industry I think is still
really slow. There's not a ton shooting in LA. There's
these really great campaigns happening to try to bring work
back to LA and put pressure on lawmakers to extend
the money for incentives and also like put pressure on
producers to just shoot in LA. And so I hope
(44:41):
that happens because I feel like we've lost so many
crew members the last few years, and if we lose
our crews, like if they all leave LA, I don't
that's going to have such a huge impact on the industry,
on the town. There's so many other businesses that rely
on the industry being in town, you know. So I'm
(45:02):
hopeful it will change, but it's yeah that cities like
I feel like the city's going through it right now.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
I haven't been back since the fires, and I usually
go once or twice a year. When I go back,
will there be things that like are like I don't
recognize hmmm.
Speaker 4 (45:20):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Yeah, I mean, I mean the entire Palisades is gone.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Yeah, Like if I'm driving down PCH, like.
Speaker 1 (45:31):
You're gonna pass by just burnt ground, Like I'm really
really dreading it. I mean crazy, the PCH also the Palisides,
the Palisades, that whole village with all those like cute,
great restaurants, like you know, it was a very affluent neighborhood.
But it also was a beachy town too. It's you know,
we drive through it on our way to the beach
and sometimes stop there for dinner after the beach. And
(45:53):
right so it's and it's just all gone and all
ta Dina and all all of its history and what
it's meant for the black community specifically and black artists,
and so I really hope it all gets rebuilt. I
really hope the city does right by people. And you
(46:16):
know they do good things when it comes to taxes
and assessments and permits and all the stuff, right, Like,
we need them to do the right thing help and that. Yeah,
and we really need them to crack down on all
the price gouging with renters. And you know, it's like,
I feel like everyone's watching the city very closely right now,
(46:40):
and I hope like this is their moment to step
up and do the right thing, and I hope they
do well.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
I think you're right.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
The good news is a lot of people are watching,
and yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
That can help.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Well, I'm you know, we're rooting for you, guys and
pulling for you guys.
Speaker 3 (47:07):
Okay, let's finish with a lightning round. Ooh, okay, it's quick.
It's fine.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Love a lightning round, Love a lightning round.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
If you could play any role in a Broadway musical,
what would it be?
Speaker 1 (47:26):
Velma in Chicago ah or Anita in Westside Story.
Speaker 3 (47:31):
Ah ah Oh well I like them both so much.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Oh yeah, those are two great roles.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
I love that. I love that.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Okay, Well, I'll hope to see you in one of those.
I know you've said that Clue is one of your
favorite movies.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
It is also one of mine.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Who is the best character slash actor in Clue?
Speaker 1 (48:01):
Oh my god, that's an impossible thing to answer.
Speaker 3 (48:05):
I know, yeah, have a good one.
Speaker 4 (48:07):
You can save one Clue character, Missus White.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
Madelon Cohn. Yeah, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Yeah, steels everything sides of my face, heaving flames, flames.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Yeah, she's amazing. But also so is Tim Curry.
Speaker 4 (48:24):
So I mean all of them. But yeah, madel On
con it's it's.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Probably my favorite performance, and that her reactions to everything
are so good.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
But everyone, I mean.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
It is, it's it's an iconic movie. Every performance is
pitch perfect. I think I heard a rumor that they
were going to remake it, and I was like, don't
you fucking dare, don't you fucking dare.
Speaker 6 (48:47):
This is one of those that's the.
Speaker 4 (48:49):
Film not be touched.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
It's certainties that are perfect Clue when Harry met Sally,
like Forrest Gump, Like, there's certain movies that should not
be remade.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Well, I'm with you and oh no one, I mean
Leslie and Warren is so good in that film.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
I love her so much. Michael McKean.
Speaker 4 (49:10):
I mean yeah, I like literally all of them.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
Everyone is perfectly cast and you could. No one could,
no one else could play them.
Speaker 3 (49:17):
Thank you, thank you very much. Yeah, okay, good. You
may or may not know this. I don't know. Don't
feel bad if you don't. What is the ten fifteen
in police code?
Speaker 4 (49:27):
I have no fucking idea.
Speaker 3 (49:29):
It's not gonna happen. Okay.
Speaker 1 (49:34):
The only one who would know what the police codes
meant was Stephanie Beatrice.
Speaker 3 (49:38):
Okay, okay, because she's like into it.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
She yeah, she did her homework. The rest of us
did not.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
Well.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
A ten to fifteen is prisoner in custody. That's all great. Okay.
What's the last thing you got mad at your husband for? Ooh,
I feel like annoyed. It doesn't have to be mad.
Speaker 4 (49:58):
Yeah, yeah, you don't have to get to.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
Deep into your marriag. Yeah, I know, when did you
almost get divorced?
Speaker 1 (50:04):
Super husband and dad these last few months? Because I've
been shooting in Atlanta and he's been like holding down
the fort, and.
Speaker 3 (50:14):
I get it, you know, I do.
Speaker 4 (50:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:18):
I just had an election year for which I was
mostly living in Philly to cover like swing state politics,
and so my husband was like holding down the fort,
and man, did that buy him a lot of like
a lot of goodwill.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, it can do almost anything they want,
can do almost anything.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
Now.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Yeah, so what's your perfect date night?
Speaker 1 (50:42):
Oh, my perfect date night.
Speaker 4 (50:45):
That's a good one.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
Probably getting a drink, like a really good cocktail somewhere
like yes, with somewhere that makes really good cocktails with David,
and then.
Speaker 4 (50:57):
I would help Yeah yeah, yeah, obviously, Okay with my husband.
Speaker 1 (51:03):
He's there, he's there, he's the one I'm I'm on
the date with good ok just to we're Claire. And
then dinner with friends because as much as I do love,
we just were social and we love we think it's
so fun to have dinner with this date so far
really like and then maybe like oh we haven't like
(51:24):
we love to dance and we haven't been dancing in
a long time.
Speaker 4 (51:27):
Maybe we go somewhere that's like cool.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
And we can dance and we don't feel like people
are you know, it's hard to find place with like
a good vibe. But like when someone's getting married, we're
like fuck yeah, we can't wait to Yes, Okay, I
love your date night.
Speaker 2 (51:43):
Get a good review or receive an award for your performance.
Speaker 1 (51:49):
Oh god, oh I oh that's I don't.
Speaker 4 (51:55):
I guess get a good review. Yeah, get a good review.
Speaker 3 (52:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Last question, this is the most important to me, culturally, spiritually,
all the reasons.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
When is it iced coffee season? It's important.
Speaker 4 (52:17):
As soon as it hits seventy four degrees.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (52:21):
Interesting, I'm from Massachusetts, born and raised on dungledonuts ice coffee.
Speaker 4 (52:32):
This should be come with a kaye.
Speaker 1 (52:33):
Okay, seventy four degrees in la is different than seventy
four degrees on the East Coast, So let me amend
my If you're on the West coast, it's when it
hits seventy four degrees. If you're on the East coast,
it's when it hits like.
Speaker 4 (52:47):
Sixty seven.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
Okay, I appreciate the math here. I will just say
that both of these answers are wrong. The answer is
year round.
Speaker 4 (52:55):
It's year round, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
You are a little bit crazy if you are ordering
an iced coffee in the middle of a blizzard, dead
of winter, dead of win, dead of winter.
Speaker 4 (53:08):
Yeah, you're on another level.
Speaker 3 (53:10):
I'm on another level.
Speaker 4 (53:11):
Yeah, but it's real.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
I mean, it's really I never I almost never want
a hot coffee.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
What always want it iced?
Speaker 4 (53:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (53:18):
Because I want to drink it quickly. Why, Okay, I've
jumped it into my veins.
Speaker 4 (53:23):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that. I get that.
Speaker 3 (53:25):
I want to be able to not have to worry
about it burning me.
Speaker 4 (53:29):
Yeah yeah, no not.
Speaker 3 (53:30):
But you're the first.
Speaker 2 (53:31):
We've asked this a lot, and it's got a lot
of responses. You're the first person who's who's given an
actual temperature degree.
Speaker 4 (53:39):
Well, because I like it.
Speaker 3 (53:40):
Weather.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
It be crazy now with climate change. So you know,
you can't say spring anymore. No, you can have to
doesn't mean anything, doesn't mean anything. You can have a
seventy degree day in January.
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Yeah, you don't know.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
Science Halloween, it could be eighty degrees outside, that's right,
and you might need an ic coffee.
Speaker 3 (53:58):
Lissa, this was so fun. Thank you for joining us
off the cup.
Speaker 4 (54:00):
Thank you so much. It was so fun.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Good luck with Gross Point Garden Society. I cannot wait
to get into it. What did I call g GPGS.
Speaker 1 (54:11):
Yeah, GPGS GPG On Peacock, you can binge the first
three episodes, or you can watch them live on Sunday
nights at ten pm. I do think it's fun show
to also watch one at a time because a lot
happens each episode.
Speaker 3 (54:25):
Yeah, and some people really like to hang on.
Speaker 4 (54:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:27):
I think it works for both camps of people. It
works for the bingers, and it works for the people
that want to like watch and digest for.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
A few days in real time. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well excellent. Well, good luck with everything, and.
Speaker 6 (54:39):
Thank you again.
Speaker 4 (54:40):
Thanks, have a great.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Day next week. On Off the Cup, I talked to
Rob Morrow.
Speaker 5 (54:46):
I shoot thirteen hours, and I'd go home and I'd
look at the next seven, eight, ten pages. I had
to learn, you know, with all this medical jargon that
I didn't even know how to pronounce, let alone knew
what it meant, you know, and I'd have to sit
there and figure out out and then you know, pass
out on my bed with these medical encyclopedias.
Speaker 3 (55:04):
Harmy, Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (55:09):
Off the Cup is a production of iHeart Podcasts as
part of the Reason Choice Network.
Speaker 3 (55:13):
If you want more, check out the other.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
Reason Choice podcasts Spolitics with Jamel Hill and Native Land Pod.
For Off the Cup, I am your host, Si Cup.
Editing and sound design by Derek Clements. Our executive producers
are me Se Cup, Lauren Hanson, and Lindsay Hoffman. Rate
and review wherever you get your podcasts, Follow or subscribe
for new episodes every Wednesday.
Host
S.E. Cupp
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