Days of Our Lives Actor Derek Yates Chats Soaps, Acting, Mental Health, and More!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Strawhut Media.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hello, on the Rockers, we got drama for your mama
with Salem's latest intriguing resident actor, Derek Yates is here
to chat about his role as Carrie on Days of
Our Lives with my guest co host Nightlife King and
a host of Distant Days podcast, Tony Moore and me,
your sassy host with the Sassy Most. Raise a glass
that the drinks begin. It's on the Rocks.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
You life is a banquet and most poor suckers are
starving to death.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'd like to propose a toast. This is on the
Rocks with Alexander, where I drink with your favorite celebrities
as you talk about fashion, entertainment, pop culture, reality TV,
and well that's about it. So pop a cork, lean back,
and raise a glass to arm the rocks. Blessing your seasons.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
It strives to be on.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Bumping Lord, have mercy. We are back after our holiday break.
We are back in a tway. Buttons and both and
panios on the Rocks podcast, the place where we're too
glad to give it am. I just have to take
a moment and thank all of the Los Angeles firefighters
for their incredible work. In helping to keep us safe.
For those of us in LA. We know it has

(01:14):
been a shit show, and how we're getting through it,
I don't know. But thank you to the firefighters and
the newspeople by the way, as well well some of
the news people not some stations. The show's presented by
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(01:34):
dot tv app, Facebook, watch on GED magazine, and I
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We probably tape at upm GO Studios. You're one place
stop for podcasting, stop shop for podcasting. Okay, let's get
the show on the road. Making his On the Rocks debut,
Tony Moore is a host and actor no one throughout
the queer community of West Hollywood. As the voice of

(01:57):
Wee Hoo, He's hosted promoted very US events throughout West
Hollywood's night life, and he's hosted other various live events.
Red carpets and digital web shows. He has been seen
on Entertainment Tonight Canada, The Real and many game shows.
He currently hosts a weekly podcast recapping Peacock's Days of
our lives called Dish Days, and he knows how to dish.

(02:17):
Welcome Tony More.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Not me like staring at myself over at the screen
over here and looking at all the wonderful pictures that
I posted. You just like to go down memory lane.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
I cannot believe you have never GUESS co hosted, because
I've known you for years you have.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
I mean, listen, I'm not one to like slide in
the dms and be like, if you ever need a
GOCU co host, just let me know.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
You slid into people's dms, though I do know that
for a fact.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Listen, You're not wrong about that. But when I do,
I am a Christian woman. When I do, I am
only sending prayers out to those who need them.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Oh Jesus. But in night life, you've seen me at
my best and at my worst.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
I've only I only remember you at your best.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
That's because it's usually early in the evening.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
This is very true. This is very true. I haven't
seen you towards the end of the night, but you
still keep it together.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
That night is young, my friend, Oh, it's very young.
I don't know. How did your love affair with soap
operas come to be? I mean, were you raised on
soap operas? How do they play your life?

Speaker 3 (03:16):
So?

Speaker 1 (03:16):
My mom was an ABC soap girl, so she watched
like General Hospital, One Life to Live. I did not
I did not get it. I did not understand why
people watch soaps. And then I was helping a family
friend move in and being a short, chubby kid. When
I had lunch, I had to watch TV, and she

(03:38):
watched Days of our Lives, and so I remember watching
an episode of Days and I was like, Ooh, what's
gonna happen next? And for many decades I've been asking, Ooh,
what happens next? So that's how I fell in love
with soap oberas.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Every day is like a cliffhanger, every single.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
Day, it really is. I mean, there are a lot
of stories that draw you in. There are some stories
that make you go, I'm just gonna wait and see
where this goes. But it's always been very intriguing.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Now Days of Our Lives, that's the soap opera that
had the whole possession thing right with Deirdre.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yes twice, yes twice, well, hey twice.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
I'm so popular. He comes back again exactly.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Well, to celebrate the twenty fifth anniversary of it, they
brought it back. I unfortunately missed the first time she
was possessed, so I was acstatic when they brought it back.
I listen, I lived.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
I mean, was that like a joke in the writer's room.
They're like, let's see if we can like push this,
because who the hell would be like, you know what,
I've got a good story. Let's have a possession. And
then deir Dra Hall, by the way.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
I mean, Deirdre Hall is an icon and a legend.
And I think when they first did it, James Riley
was at Days then and he was kind of known
for these very uh out there kind of storylines, and
so I think that's how the Devil played into that.
But like it's very entertaining. I mean, listen, there's never

(04:59):
a dull moment in say.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
There's a never dobe moment, and there's plenty of hot,
hot people too running around.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
I look forward to every towel drop that happens in Salem.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
No have you been to the real Salem? People are
not looking like that around.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
No. The thing I will not do is go to
the real Salem because I'm pretty sure they'll burn me
at the stake.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Why don't they do like a witch thing like they
did the Devil? I mean, what about the witch?

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Well, they will see they had that in passions. Passions
was like, oh yeah, so they did all of that,
you know, in passions. I couldn't get into Passions because
of that.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
But you know, uh, Now, I was raised on soap
operas because I had it was just my mom and me.
That was just our whole family, was just the two
of us. So we would have our TV dinners and
she would tape every day on VCRs is way back
when it would be Young and the Restless and One
Life to Live. Yeah, okay, so for years, all growing up,
that was that was our time. So soap operas is

(05:54):
very much in my blood.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
Did you have a favorite character from each show? Yes?

Speaker 2 (05:59):
From Young and the Restless Jill Abbott and then oh god,
I forgot what the older woman's name was, but how
they would fight and fight and fight, lived for it,
lived for it. Yeah, and the maid I think her
name was Esther and she still is you know.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
Well, yeah, there are there are very many actors who
were still on the show. Yes for decades and decades
and decades yep, like a Martinez, Yes, yes, who was
on Days yep for uh, for ag a little bit.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, remember when he was in Cheat Devil and he
took his shirt off and we all passed out.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh my god, that was him and She Devil. First
of all, I loved Cheat Devil. I slightly wanted to
be Roseanne and She Devil, Like I wanted to make
a list on how I would get people back, yeah,
and then just go through and do that. Currently, I'm
on Revenge Body on who no one, but I'm on
three Revenge Bodies right now. This year has been rough.
Here has been real rough.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Now, what is it about days of our Lives because
you have audition days. What is it about this particular
show that sets it apart from other soap operas?

Speaker 1 (06:55):
I don't know. For me, it's it's the one that
I just always gravitated towards. There were always characters that
I felt like I identified with, you know, And it
was the one soap opera that just took my attention
like at a very young age, and I grew from that,
Like I started watching the show, I started attending fan
events and meeting a lot of the the pass so fun.

(07:18):
Oh they're a lot of fun. And shout out to
all of my friends that I met through all the events.
And then I started hosting the events and then eventually
led to the podcast. So I don't know, Days has
just been my little love since I was young. And
who's watching soap operas nowadays?

Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know?

Speaker 1 (07:35):
Soap operas are such a generational thing. People who used
to watch it with their mom, with their grandmothers still
watch now with their children. When I host Day of Days,
there's so many fans that come, and even like young
fans who say, oh, I watched this with my mom,
and then they would say, well, I watch this with
my mom. So soaps are always just such a generational

(07:57):
thing that it's just innate in you to watch. And
I think for for a lot of people, it's nostalgic
because they remember those times, Like you just mentioned watching
it with the TV dinner.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Now, if I hear that theme song, it just takes
me back.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yes, yes, so it's it's it's very nostalgic. And soap
fans are very loyal.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
So soap fans are like Trekky's or you know, like
like Marvel fans.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
They are yes, hardcore, Oh, absolutely like you. When it
comes to storyline, when it comes to characters, when it
comes to how the set looks, you cannot get away
with anything. If the curtains are red and then suddenly
they're green, they're like, that's wrong, and they were right
in and let you know that it's wrong.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
That makes me laugh. But when they switch actors for
the same character, nobody bats an eye.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
No, absolutely not. Actually, on Days that happened. One of
the actors, Greg Vaughn, something happened and he wasn't able
to be on the show for a little bit, and
they brought in another another guy to play him. And
we were just like okay, okay, yeah, like it's just
it's just natural thing.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
That's the beauty of soap opera.

Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah yeah, all right, Well.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
We are going to welcome our gentlemen of the Hour
derigates known to make waves both on and off screen,
he's adding a milestone roll this year as he steps
into the spotlight on the iconic series Days of Our
Lives as Carrie, a mysterious and magnetic new character whose
storyline is already turning heads. His screen presence isn't new though,
to fans of hit shows like CSI Vegas, The Rookie Feds,

(09:25):
How I Met Your Father, Minx, and more, but his
role on Days and marks a defining moment in his career,
as he brings his signature depth and intensity to one
of television's most beloved and longest running soap operas. He's
also a fitness trainer with that body addiadi if you're
on his Instagram m M. He also has a deep
commitment to giving back. He often dedicates his time and
energy to terrible initiatives that uplift communities will support those

(09:47):
in need. He's worked closely with an organization that we
know and love, a Project Angel Food, and various other
charities that focus on community empowerment and health advocacy. Please
welcome derreck Yates. What's up? Why?

Speaker 1 (10:03):
What?

Speaker 2 (10:05):
This is an exciting week for you?

Speaker 1 (10:07):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (10:08):
Because if you haven't watched today, Garri's back.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
So are you sitting there watching the episodes? Oh?

Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (10:20):
Wake up in the morning and make sure I give
myself enough time to like, wake up and like, Okay,
let's let's watch and see.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
How how fun is that?

Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, I mean, and it's kind of to the point
because I'm sure everyone knows, like we filmed really far
in advance. I'm even to the point like I forgot
which episode this is. I'm like discovering it with everybody else,
like oh yeah, kind of a thing. So it's kind
of fun.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
Now.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
You moved around a lot as a kid, but primarily uh, Chattanooga.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
Right, Yeah, from born and mostly raised, is what I say.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
What what did growing up in Chattanooga? What did it
teach you most about life? How did it prepare you
for life?

Speaker 3 (10:55):
I mean in the South, you're kind of known to
like be like more extra, everyone's like more loving, So
I think that's kind of what installed in me. Like
what I'm most appreciative of is that. So I always
like to make people feel good about themselves and appreciated,
acknowledged herd. So that's what I would have to say.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
And manners too. Yeah, yeah, you were born in South Carolina, right.

Speaker 1 (11:17):
I was born in Hawaii, but I've lived in South
Carolina most of my life, so I'm a Southern boy
as well.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
How did you get to South Carolina from Hawaii?

Speaker 1 (11:23):
Well, it was quite a journey.

Speaker 2 (11:26):
That's a long flight.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
No, my dad was in the military, so he traveled
around a lot, and so he retired in South Carolina.
So yeah, I love the South. I mean everything you
say about the South is correct, Like it's all about
hospitality and being nice and manners and all that kind
of stuff. Food and oh yes, yes, every time I
go back to South Carolina, there are certain restaurants that

(11:48):
I make sure I go to. Do you do the same,
dereg When you go back to Tennessee.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
I like to go for barbecue. So like Tennessee barbecue.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
This fit body here, I don't. I doubt you've ever
had barbecue.

Speaker 3 (11:59):
That's the only time my have bar just the sauce,
like the zero sugar sauce.

Speaker 1 (12:05):
He does what like we should do, Like once he
eats the barbecue, he probably works out like harder, whereas
we just laid back, unbuckle our pants and go h.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
We lean back and watch the days of our life exactly.

Speaker 3 (12:16):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (12:17):
Now, your mom was was pursuing a career in modeling
and acting as well, right, and then she had a
family is that where you got kind of the entertainments.

Speaker 3 (12:26):
You really did your homework.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
I'm a stocker. That's why I was.

Speaker 3 (12:30):
Like, Wow, Yeah, my mom actually wanted to do that
in the beginning, and then she had me, so she
became a mom instead, And I guess it was just
instilled in me from her. But I actually feel like
I come by it honest, Like almost everyone in my
family is musically inclined. So I think just being in
entertainment in general just kind of like in our blood.

(12:50):
And so yeah, so I grew up kind of wanted
to be more of a singer at first, and then
in transition to like one to model and then acting
kind of fell in my lap. And here we are singing.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
It's a big part of your life. In fact, his
first musical theater role was Link and Hairspray.

Speaker 3 (13:05):
Right, it was one of the best summers of my life.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
I would love to see you play like same.

Speaker 3 (13:10):
I mean, I'll do it. Every wants to bring it back. Yeah,
maybe I have a musical episode that would be so fun.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
You know, they they sometimes do. There are a lot
of the cast members do sing and play instruments and stuff,
and sometimes they incorporate that into their character. So I
don't know, maybe Carrie can be in Hortontown Square strumming
a guitar or.

Speaker 3 (13:30):
Something, jamming it up in a shower or something, the
shower thing and be like yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Now singing has been a big part of your life.
Is it something that you're going to focus on more
career wise?

Speaker 3 (13:42):
It is on my bucket list. I want to hopefully
hit Broadway at some point. At some point, I do
want to win an egot, so I do. I'm gonna
have to it here, folks. So I'm hoping for my
Miammy nomination and when with from Days, if I can
ever make that happen, and then you know, I have
to sing for Grammy and Italians.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
So what it? Which are your top three like Broadway
musicals that you would love to be on.

Speaker 3 (14:08):
I mean, I would love to do Hairspray again because
the nostalgic purposes of it. So even if I came
back as a different character and got to be to
do that would be really really fun. I loved Rent
growing up, so that's like Mike Rent close second. And
then now the Greatest Showman's out, so that would be
like just the acrobatics something I've been seeing from the
behind the scenes of it. Not that I could do

(14:29):
that part, but just being like maybe like minor only
on a bit, but I don't know if I could
do all the flips and all that they do. Like
I'm getting old, like sitting down in this chair, I
don't know.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
Oh no, we're all at that age. We're scared of
the tires shoes now.

Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yeah, literally like putting all these boots and went on
the way here.

Speaker 1 (14:47):
I was like, oh, that's sorry.

Speaker 3 (14:50):
So yeah, I mean maybe that would be the third
of one of the newer ones. Would be fun.

Speaker 1 (14:53):
I could see us fierro and oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (14:56):
I would love to do you Wicked too. So actually,
that's actually the first time I ever auditioned for a
Broadbaly musical. I actually went to New York and they
have like a big open call. It was not good.
I'm a much better, more talented, more confident actor and
singer now, but yeah, So I remember going to that

(15:18):
and I had no idea about like cutting sheet music
and having it ready for your accompanist, and I was like,
I don't know what I'm doing. I'm like messaging on
Facebook Messenger back in the day. I'm like, how, Like
my friend like, how do you do this? Like I'm
in New York? What do I even do now? Like
I'm here now?

Speaker 2 (15:31):
It was fresh.

Speaker 1 (15:36):
I feel you on that I had an audition for
a Broadway show that I should not have been at
at all. They asked me to come in and audition
for Michael Jackson for The m Day the musical. No no,
there's no okay because number one, I don't sing.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
You don't sing, No.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
No, not at all. Everyone thinks I sing with this voice.
I mean, I can do a lot of things, but
singing is not one of them. That audition was like,
I'm just glad I got through it because when when
the pianists like started playing and I went, oh is
that me? You already know?

Speaker 2 (16:14):
That was like next, Yeah, what was your go to
like auditions song?

Speaker 3 (16:19):
I think it was a Kelly Clarkson song. Honestly, since
you been it might have been like was it strong?
I don't remember. All I remember was I remember it
was Kelly Clarkson. I'm pretty sure it was a Kelly
Clarkson song. So I was like, again, it wasn't great.

Speaker 2 (16:35):
But now growing up were you were you in the
jock crowd. Were you in the theater kids crowd? I
know you were president of your school choir?

Speaker 3 (16:42):
That was my crowd.

Speaker 2 (16:43):
Were you a nerd? Like what was happening?

Speaker 3 (16:45):
I was like the kid that like everyone knew who
I was, so I didn't get but no one picked
on me, and I wasn't popular, but in the sense
everyone knew me, I was popular in that sense, but
it wasn't popular. But I did become the treasurer of
my class, so like I guess popular enough to get
that vote and then president in my senior year in choir,
So I would say it was more in the choir

(17:07):
kids kind of a thing, but it was very mixed
in the choir, like you had the jackson, the popular
kids and and the nerds, and like it was that
that was like kind of like the place almost kind
of like Glee where it was like all all the
different types came in and then like you're kind of
friends there, but then you like kind of know each
other out. But like we did do the whole Glee thing.
We became like buddy buddy, Yeah, but it was just
kind of fun seeing like all the different types come

(17:28):
in to at least be that one unified you know
thing for like forty five minutes. Yeah, yeah, you know,
I feel like my at least in my school, my
our band people that was the group like you went
in and then you were friends outside of it as well.
So yeah, it was like they were very clicky in
that way.

Speaker 1 (17:44):
It's it's definitely a different bond when you were in
ninety degree weather trying to learn a field show. It's
it's different.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
But we like our band was like really goodly like
one competitions like nationals and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 (17:56):
So with good reason we tried. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
Now you kind of got into acting and modeling from
an open call in Chattanooga.

Speaker 3 (18:05):
Right, Yeah. I was trying to be, like I said,
a singer first and then realized I was like it's
not kind of working. And then so I tried to
be a model and like too short. And then so
I went to a modeling called a local agency there
in Chattanooga and they were like, you should try acting,
and I was like okay, So they like put me
in some of their acting classes and I was like
just kind of going through the motions like this they

(18:27):
think I can do this, I guess I'll try it.
And then there's a thing called imta. I don't know
if you guys will know what that is, but there's
like they do in La they actually just did it
and feel bad for the people and do it in
the fires, but they've just finished it. I saw here,
and they did one in New York, and so I
had like a year to prep and prepare. So I
went and did like a bunch of like acting competitions,
and I sang and I danced and it was just

(18:49):
I guess, being around that energy and all those people
and like the passion that everyone everyone was just trying
so hard to be so good, to be noticed by
an agent or a manager or somebody just to tell
them they were good or when it ward and the
bug bit me and after that, I was like, this
is this is what I wanted to do. It helped
that I did have an interest from a manager and

(19:09):
so like I was like, okay, I'm on the right
track at least.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
So yeah, oh I remember those days, Like early on
in my acting career, model searches used to come through town.
So you would go to those cattle call oh yeah
at the mall or either either at like a hotel
like conference room yep, yep, And yeah, you would go
in with your Sunday best on and try to impress

(19:31):
so that you could get to the the bigger one
that was held in like a bigger city. Mine was
always held in Atlanta, so and then that's where like
the big agents would come and you would like model
or do a monologue or something and try to get
noticed that way. Oh those were the days.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Day day.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
It's so different.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
So here in twenty sixteen, you pack up the car,
You're like, I'm going to move to l A. What
was that? What that took a lot of balls to
to be like, Okay, I'm just gonna leave home. That's
a tough decision.

Speaker 3 (20:03):
Yeah, Like I said from IMCA, I had that interest
in the manager. So that actually wasn't my first time
moving to Dela. I actually had moved before that. It
was in two thousand and nah, yes, we're gonna go
with that. And then so I packed up and moved
out the first time. So I actually that time I
flew out and I like packed like two boxes and

(20:24):
I was like, whatever, I can ship myself, and that's
what I So I had a cousin here. She let
me sub let her place for a second her car
while she was out of town, and I lasted like
a month, yeah, a month. Yeah, Well it was because
when I got out here, I was like, I'm gonna
be an actor. This manager is gonna sign me. And
I show up to his door and had a meeting
with him and he's like, go take some acting classes

(20:44):
and come back and see me. And I was like, yeah,
I told me that you were what you made it
sound like you wanted to side what And so I
kind of freaked out. And then I was saying in
Marina del Rey trying.

Speaker 1 (20:55):
To drive up.

Speaker 3 (20:55):
And then the job I had lined up with a
sister company from one of the places I was working.
They were like, yeah, we're all gonna give you like
one shift a week. When I was working like full
time hours at the other place, I was I can't
live off one shift. And I was driving like two
hours from Rena del Raid up to like Burbank. Yeah,
I was like this isn't worth it.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
That's long drive.

Speaker 3 (21:12):
And I couldn't find a job. I didn't know what
I was doing. I was alone, and then I was like,
just have a little bit of money left. Oh, And
then I got a ticket while I was here. That
ended up cost me like a thousand dollars because I
tried to contest it and didn't know if they didn't
get back to you that then you still had to
pay it. So it like went to like one thousand dollars.
So I was like, I have just enough money to
like tuck my tail and go home, and then so

(21:34):
I did, which is fine. Honestly, I'm kind of grateful
because when I got back, I reset, and it's like
put my head down. I started working and then ended
up meeting the right people in the right moment. And
even when I went to LA the first time, I
didn't have a reel, I didn't have any credits, I
hadn't done anything yet. But so when I came back,
I started meeting the right people, ended up getting into

(21:55):
like short films and student films, building my reel, building
my resume, and then ended up getting my first agent
in Atlanta. So if I had to come back, I
don't think it would have worked out the same, and
I probably wouldn't be here right now.

Speaker 1 (22:06):
Well, that month in two thousand and nine was just
prep for your move in twenty sixteen seventeen, and.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
At least you came back. You know, some people would
be like, oh, I tried, and that's it, and we
know this. It takes more than a month.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
It does well. I moved in two thousand and eight.
When did you You're from here.

Speaker 2 (22:22):
Or Orange County, so I've always been around, yeah, but
I've moved here probably about twenty two years ago.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Yeah. I mean, it's it's it's it's a lot to
make that decision, and you're never fully prepared to move
to LA but when you do, it's like you just
try to make it work.

Speaker 2 (22:37):
Well, and it's funny. It's it's being alone too. We
think it's such a big city. Yeah, but it is
very lonely if you don't know anybody, because we're not
the friendliest, I would say. I mean, we've become involved
in West Hollywood.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
Where there are certain friendly don't I don't want to
put out there that there are no friendly people.

Speaker 2 (22:54):
It can be very lonely.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
You have to find them. Yes, it can be. I
mean even when you first moved here, that's one set
of loneliness. But you can be here for decades and
still still lonely. Yeah, that's a whole nother podcast in
the South.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
Right, stay tuned after.

Speaker 2 (23:08):
So I want to hear about your second time back
to LA you finally have the manager. I'd love to
hear horror stories about early auditions. Uh, but do you
have any any fun like first audition stories.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
I guess my very first audition story, which has nothing
to do with LA I was And that was another
another thing. I was in Chattanooga and I had got
hooked up with doing backgrounds. I was like, Oh, I'm
gonna be on this Disney movie and so, and it
was a Disney musical and it was not like one
off made for TV. Disney musical forgot what it even was.

(23:40):
And so like, I'm gonna do background and so me
and two other friends we went for like an entire week.
We would drive from Chattanooga two hours down. Every early
morning we would get there and then we would stay
for like fourteen fifteen hours, try back two hours, sleep
for like just like four hours, and then get up
and go driving two hours back because it was just
cheaper than getting a hotel together. And so I actually
met the casting he was doing the background there and

(24:01):
then he was casting teen Wolf on MTV at the time,
and so I had told him that story that we
were like back and forth, back and forth, and we
were just so passionate about it. We showed up and
we were like we were like the most energetic people
in the background, and so he just took notice of it,
and he's like, you need to come in an audition
for me on my on the show. So I got
an audition for like a recurring guest star on it.
And like you would think, like, oh, this is gonna

(24:22):
be a good story. You got the all. No, it
was so I showed every like everything a green actor
would do. I did it in that room that day.
It was so bad, but I can at least be
aware and recognize it now, Like I asked him afterwards
as soon as it was over, I was like, so,
how did I do? And You're like, you don't do that,
Like you just look, that's just not one thing. It
was just very awkward, and like when when am I

(24:44):
gonna find out? Like every it was just really really bad,
and I feel bad for him, but I'm glad he
gave me opportunity to at least do it so I
could say that I did it. So I'll say that's
my main one morror story is that one. And then
from there, I got you to self taping because in
Atlanta they went like hard on self taping. So I

(25:04):
consider myself the self tape king because when I came
out here, it transitioned to that, and I've almost never
been in person in La everything has almost been taped,
and then I've almost booked everything from tape, and so
in that sense, I count myself lucky because I love
self tapes. I know that's a big Like most people
don't like self text.

Speaker 2 (25:22):
Tapes because you don't have that energy, you can't read.

Speaker 3 (25:25):
I love them the favorite I like.

Speaker 1 (25:29):
I would rather sit through traffic, go to the casting
office and just it's like, tell me, tell me what
you need me to do, because the last thing I
want to do is set up an entire scene in
my house to like film an audition. I would rather
just go.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
There see For me, I turned it into like making
a little mini short film for however long it's going
to be for the audition. So I get really into
it and I'm like, how can I like do this
and like okay, I'm like, reader, throw this water on
me on my face at the right moment, the right line,
just to add a little bit extra flair and get
me something to work off of. Like I'm thinking of
anything and everything to make it fun for me. Yeah,
because in the room, if you were the casting director,

(26:06):
like you can get away with like not most things,
like you like take your sides and your phone and
that's about all you get. But at least in your apartment,
like everything is a year expense as long as it
isn't distracted from the audition. So I'm gonna make a
little many short film and make my time enjoyable and
then hopefully then they see it enjoyed by me. And
that's that's kind of why I like them. It's fun,
But I know it's hard for some people, but I

(26:27):
love it.

Speaker 1 (26:28):
That's a new way to look at it. I mean,
I still rather said than traffic.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
And zu, but then like you have to, like the
traffic thing and the like, get to rearrange your day
the next day like that. I have enough anxiety in
my life. I don't need to add driving to it
and then getting stuck and then being late and then
finding parking and then like trying to figure out which
studio lot to even go to when you get there,
and then finding the right person and then if someone's
not nice that day, and then like everyone else is

(26:53):
in the wall and the in the waiting area, and
you're like sizing everyone up and like, I don't look
like that guy so much more handsome? Why he's not
wearing a shirt? Like? Should have I not worn a shirt?

Speaker 2 (27:04):
Like you should never wear a shirt?

Speaker 3 (27:05):
Just I mean FYI, Oh my.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
God, like hearing like, oh like should I like? Look
how that guy's It just reminds me of the Michael
Jackson audition all over again. How like I saw all
these people sitting in their cars looking normal and me
in a full on like Michael Jackson love.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
I love that. That's like from a movie.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
Yeah. Like And I literally tried to like curl my
hair even more than I did now, And then I
took this little piece of my hair and I held
it down like this to try to get that curl.
What a mess commitment though, I was very committed, Yeah,
very committed.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
No fans of your earlier work also remember you from
the Ellen Show. You were one of Ellen's Gardner's. I
was you won like that because you had to submit
a video, right yeah, and people fell in love with you.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
It was kind of I was taken aback a little bit.

Speaker 1 (27:53):
I was not.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
I was very surprised because they she had this thing,
this little gag of like Ellen's gardner on the show
and you come out shirtless and like tend her garden,
which he didn't really actually do. Was just a hot
guy that came out and like carried people out on
the stage.

Speaker 1 (28:07):
Wed no problem, I mean, yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:10):
So, but that was her gardener. And so then he
had gotten like a role which I think ended up
just being like a background role because I never saw
him in Magic Mic, but supposed he was in Magic Mic.
So she needed to find a new temporary gardener to
like to ope there there he's on the screen in
front of my house in Chattanooga. Yeah. So they did

(28:31):
this like video submission thing, and I had actually seen
it going around and I was like, that's that's interesting,
but I'm not going to do that, Like, no one's
gonna see my video. And then I had actually the
my kindergarten girlfriend of all people like I'm like, was
like still friendly with and she was like, hey, have
you seen this? You should do it? And I was like, oh, man,

(28:52):
I don't know. And then and then my stepsister had
been like the next day sent it to me too,
and I was like, is this like the universe like saying,
like just do it, even if it's not like you
don't get it, but it could be fun. And so
I grabbed my stepdad. I put on my Ellen underwear.
And I can't remember why I had Ellen underwear. There
was a reason, and I can't remember how I had
I already had.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
I can't say I have Ellen underwear.

Speaker 1 (29:13):
I mean not, I no, I.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Forgot what it was. I think I had submitted something
and they sent me a pair for free or something,
so like I think I just already had them.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
So I was like, okay, well girl, they couldn't give
those away.

Speaker 3 (29:23):
I mean really, I mean they weren't. They weren't the
most flattering. So that's why I was. I just I
just kept them because I was like, well, I got
free on underwear or whatever can be to.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
Go out on a date with somebody.

Speaker 1 (29:33):
And then and then and then they're like an Ellen UNDERWEARNA.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
Be like choices, I mean, very take some confidence.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
It was fresh.

Speaker 3 (29:48):
So yeah, I grabbed my stepdad, grabbed my Ellen underwear.
We took a camera outside and I was like, all right,
it's like fifty degrees outside, but I'm gonna spray myself
with this hose in my underwear and I committed to it,
and that reac action, if you see the video, is
like not me trying to look sexy, that's me cold, cold,
cold like and trying to just get through and not

(30:08):
let go of the spray because I didn't want to
have to do it again. And then all of a sudden,
like it's blowing up, getting a ton of views out
of nowhere that I was just like, what's happening right now?
And then the producers called and they're like, hey, we
want to fly you out to LA and so they did,
and I got put up in a hotel and there
was fun. I know, it was like pretty cool, like
to be a part of that hold. I've never done

(30:29):
anything like that.

Speaker 2 (30:29):
And her audience is massive, by the way, Yeah, from
one day to the next, Yeah, you're a name.

Speaker 3 (30:34):
And then all of a sudden, I'm out there and
they're cheering my name and saying you're Nail Ellen's new
gardener and they and I want a golden hoe and
a big thousand dollars Target gift card.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
So I would love a golden home.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
By the way, they never sent it to me. They
said they were going to call her right now. I'm like, Ellen,
wherever you are, send me my golden ho I never
got or.

Speaker 2 (30:55):
Something she moved super far away.

Speaker 3 (30:57):
She's like everything, I mean, what good reason?

Speaker 2 (30:59):
Like, Yeah, did you see her last stand up?

Speaker 3 (31:01):
I thought it was hilarious Personally, really, I loved it.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
It was awful.

Speaker 3 (31:07):
No, maybe because I was already kind of an Ellen
stand up fan that I enjoyed.

Speaker 2 (31:12):
Her early stuff. She was hilarious, hilarious.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
Now her older stuff was obviously way better than this one.
But maybe because that was just her swan song, I
enjoyed it more for even't like apologize.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
She almost made fun of the whole thing, and I
just didn't.

Speaker 3 (31:24):
I guess it's because there's this you never know what's
really going on behind the scenes, so I try to
be a little pathetic also being an actor because like
people person I'm not. And there's that too, because I'm
like I want to have to. I want to believe
so much that like it was just blown out of proportion,
not saying that she was perfect on one day. Maybe
she really was mean at one point and did something wrong,
But I can't imagine she just was that way all

(31:45):
the time. I don't know. I don't know, but so
I guess I'm just choosing optimism and hope that for
the sake of like the industry and it's not being
that skeezy all the time. So yeah, in that sense,
and maybe I don't know, maybe I'm being too optimistic.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
But all right, what was your relationship to soap operas
because I know you you had a brief appearance on
General Hospital, but did you soap operas were like a thing.

Speaker 3 (32:12):
For you or Yeah? I think y'all mentioned earlier, like
I grew up watching it with my mom. She would
have them on, so like you kind of just watch
them because it's there and that's what she's watching. So
you're just gonna sit down and you start getting and invested.
And then all of a sudden you're on the same
shows with some of the people that are still on
the show when you were a kid, and you're like,
this is weird, but it's cool. So like you just

(32:33):
you're part of like his like TV history essentially, and
then having people being like, oh, I've been watching the
show for like forty five years and now you're on it, and
that makes it so much more fun and exciting. Like
but how you certainly like the fans are loyal. They
once they're in there and it's almost like they become lifers.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
Have you had any interesting fan interactions or fan messages? Yeah? Surprisingly,
there are some crazies out there, I.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
Would I surprisingly, no, I've had like a I haven't
got a fact yet. Maybe not yet. Maybe like if
I'm like on for like a long long time and
become like really like cemented into it, maybe maybe different.
But everyone so far has been really nice and like
it just excited that I'm there. And yeah, I wouldn't
say anything weird yet.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
So what was your auditional process?

Speaker 3 (33:18):
Like, uh, self tapes again, self tape king, I like
to like crown myself. I did a self tape and
I got the sides, and I was like, oh, days
of our lives. Oh cool, like a recurring guest star.
Oh my god, Like they said it might come back
like this is fun, and so I just kind of
looked over the size and I was like, this kind
of feels like this situation felt really easy for me
to drop into. So at my roommate at the time,

(33:41):
I you know, did the setup and we did it
and I knocked it out really quick, and I was like,
that just felt too easy. But I'm excited about what
I did, the work I did. I forgot about it,
and all of a sudden, like you got a call
back and then I'm doing a zoom with Marnie, the
head casting director for for Days, and she was lovely.
Oh my goodness, she's been there.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
Yeah, yeah, well she started at Young and the Restless.
I believe, if I'm not mistaken, I think she started
the veteran. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, Marnie is. Marnie is amazing,
and she's like she's like she's that chick where like
she seems like very like hard, but she wants you
to succeed.

Speaker 3 (34:17):
So well, I didn't see any of the herd. Maybe
I got like this offside because she was excited for
what I was doing. Because when we got on the thing,
the first thing she's like, don't change a thing. Good,
exactly how you did it, and so I did. And
then all of a sudden I got the call it.
We booked it, so.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
All right, tell her audience that might not know your character.
Who is Carrie? What's historic?

Speaker 3 (34:39):
Yeah? Carrie. So he came in originally to be a
love interest for Greg's character Leo on the show. He's
there to try and get a little hook up moment
going and and he succeeds, so he gets to go
home with the character Leo, and then he's like in

(34:59):
the all of the heat for a moment, and then
Leo's character has an epiphany of like, I don't want
to do this, and then it's I tell you it
must have been because I was wearing them on that
day underneath the jeans.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
So this makes so much more sense because we were
watching it and we were being like, now, how are
you going to go all the way back to the
silament and not and I and we're looking at you like,
I mean hello, Like he's hot, and Greg too, Yeah,
it's like why is this not happening?

Speaker 3 (35:26):
And he's known to be a hoe for the lack
of a better word, from all what I was told
about his character, so and so for something about me
made him realize he wanted to like start thinking about
settling down or something. So he sends me away and
then I then I get sent away as the character
and I'm just kind of like, oh, well that was fun.
And then I get a call like you're coming back.

(35:47):
And it was right before my birthday, and sound was
like a fun little birthday present to be like birthday.
Like I had my birthday and the next day I
was back on set and I was like, that's fun.
So I couldn't go crazy, which I wasn't planning on too,
but I had to be extra good. And I knew
I was going to be shirtless, so I was like,
so I'd like watch and I was like, yeah, it's
like so my friends were making like the nice stick
dinner and everything. That'd be really careful not to get

(36:08):
the extra potatoes or anything like that.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
You can't deprive yourself on your birthday. You got to
get the extra potatoes.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
I had plenty. It was.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
It was great.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
So yeah, and then and then now I'm back for
a little bit.

Speaker 1 (36:21):
So.

Speaker 2 (36:21):
Queer representation is fairly new in the soap opera genre.
What has taken so long for the queer community to
be represented?

Speaker 3 (36:30):
Yeah, that's a that's a quest, that's what you answer,
you know, when it started at least.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
I mean, I feel like with Days Days is one
of probably the most more on the conservative side of
the soap operas. A lot of the other soaps had
already done featured like lesbian characters or things like that.
And then Days finally had a storyline where one of
the major characters Will Horton, who was played by Chandler

(36:55):
Massey at the time he had like a big coming out.
And then in Sonny Kayakus who was played by Freddie Smith,
and then they were a couple and then their their
their relationship. We watched it grow and and so that
was kind of like the first for queer representation on there.
And it is a question of like why does it

(37:15):
take so long? But sometimes you really have to ease
soap fans in into that. And what I was very
thankful about was watching that relationship they were They were
very good at just not putting them together like right away,
but really showing the that their relationship was very much

(37:38):
like a lot of the other like super couples that
were on the show. And so you gotta you watch,
We'll figure it out. You watched Sonny confess his love
and and just kind of watch that relationship grow. So
it was easing them into it.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
What I like about your storyline is we're seeing because
I think some of the queer representation that I've seen
it's like, Okay, we know that they're gay, but we
don't see them be gay. And you know, we're talking
about your character hooking up and it's like, yeah, gay
guys have sex. Yeah, And I like to see that
because it's like, yes, if we are like the other characters,
we know the other characters are hopping from bed to

(38:11):
bed to bed, like that's just part of it. Did
you have any trepidation of taking the role because it
is pretty it's pretty steamy.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
No, I mean, especially nowadays that LGBT representation is pretty
like it's here. It's not like I mean, hopefully it's
not going anywhere the next couple of weeks, depending on
what happens, what's coming up. But that's another another podcast,
Like you said, that's another podcast, so is it. I
didn't have any any problems with it. Honestly, there there

(38:38):
shouldn't be any issouldt you're if you're an actor, you
should be able to play straight gay. It doesn't matter
what you are. That's I know that's a hot topic
for people like I don't care if you're straight playing
gay or gay playing straight or any of the mix.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
Which we've talked about often. On the show.

Speaker 3 (38:52):
And I know some people after you act right, so
I know that some people have a harder time with that,
but I didn't have any you with it at all.
I actually liked the character of Carri's. I was like, Oh,
this is gonna be fun, and so I just kind
of jumped in. I just wanted to. I just want
to play him very organically and as grounded as I
possibly could. I didn't want to play him like the typical,

(39:13):
like how people think soaps are super over the top.
I was like, no, he's just a regular guy and
he's just trying to get some so and then that
was my goal and I almost got it, but we
were all down. Now.

Speaker 2 (39:27):
Some of the actor questions that we got for you
is have you had to adjust your acting style and
your creative approach because we know soap operas do have
a certain aesthetic. I think it's toned down over the past,
you know, a few years or decades or decade. I
would say, so that's more natural and its approach. But
I mean we remember soap opera acting when we were

(39:48):
Oh yeah, I mean it was.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
I mean they still do it a little bit. I've
watched some of these episodes and like, and they have
these long stare pauses, and even we were on set
like that and they just wentn't cut for a long time,
and you're like, this is so straight. Yeah, I'm just
staring at you and have to like just make this
like it's real and so and then you're like haircut,
Oh my god. So yeah, but I didn't feel like
I had to make any major adjustments. Like you said,

(40:12):
everything's a little more grounded already. I feel like it's
just kind of like kept it's kind of caught up
to the times a little bit. So yeah, I mean,
but there's always each genre has its own thing anyway,
So like when you're doing a procedural, it's a little
bit different. You're doing a comedy, it's a little bit different,
So you just kind of take like and even soa
it's like it's still gonna be a little a little
extra heightened, so you just kind of add that, like

(40:33):
just a little extra like a little dribble of heightened
in there. But I didn't feel like I had to
do anything like crazy obstacle courses or anything to get there.

Speaker 2 (40:40):
And there hasn't been any fan kickback for having a
gay storyline.

Speaker 1 (40:45):
No.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
I mean, I've done a gay storyline in a web
series a long time ago, but I've actually I've auditioned
for gay characters before. But all the characters I've done
up to now is we're all straight or so as
far as went over there were straight at least like
for some of the stuff.

Speaker 1 (40:59):
But that's like the key with I think it's just
like you said earlier, just playing a very grounded character
and you know, being in the community, there's different levels
of gay. I think Greg Rickord does a great job
as Leo, kind of playing that not stereotypical but like

(41:19):
but that that heightened gay, you know. But but we
love like Leo's little nuances and then it's it's different
from like Carrie or Hovey played by Al Calderon, who
Al you know, has those little quirks too, but it's
not as like not like Sean Hayzen, Will Will and Greg,

(41:43):
you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
Now Greg's Greg's character has also had an evolution too though,
because we slowly came to terms with his sexuality and
then it was like in the background and now it's
it's front and center. But his character has evolved into
a more fleshed out gay person.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
I feel like the gayeness has always been there, but
he's definitely evolved as like from a scheming, conniving person
to more of a grounded, more well grounded person. Yes,
I mean that's how most people start in soaps, right,
They come out and they're like they're evil and and
they got to get a trouble maker.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
I know that's what I'm almost like, Oh, I'm a troublemaker.
Now maybe I have to come back like with the
short hair. I'm like, I'm reformed.

Speaker 2 (42:28):
But most of your scenes are with Greg who plays Leo.

Speaker 3 (42:31):
He's so actually they switched now I'm with Al. Mostly
it just turned over. Okay, it was with Greg the
first two and now we're with Al. But I'm Leo's
mixed in, but Al is my primary now.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
But Greg is a veteran in the business.

Speaker 1 (42:45):
I mean.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
Did working with him did he did he teach you
any tricks of the trade or no?

Speaker 3 (42:51):
He was the best. When I got to set the
very first day, he took me under his wing. I
don't think he did it like out of like thinking,
like I was like moping around and like the corners,
like trying to figure out anything.

Speaker 1 (43:02):
To do.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
He was like, hey, do you want to like run lines?
And I'm like, yes, please, I don't want to mess
this up my only day on set. I want to
make sure I leave a good impression and so, and
I also didn't realize that's what they all do. So
like they're all very team oriented in that way with
the actors, like and then they also have like an
acting coach that runs around our lines, like they want
to make sure you feel very comfortable with your lines
and you know everything. And so me and Greg got together.

(43:26):
We did our scene a few times, and then it
was rehearsal time, and so like we'll walk up the
stairs and then we go to the rehearsal and then
we do like they're doing the lights and me and
him was talking, and then we do a quick rehearsal
and then like and we're filming in three I'm like
what I was like, Oh my god, Like I was
not prepared for that, honestly, Like that was a little
bit of a shock. And I had like really quickly
like turn it off and be like, Okay, I'm Carrie.

(43:46):
I'm carry I'm Carrie, like and then we did it
and then all of a sudden they were like, all right,
good day, have a good day, and I was like
it's over. No. I was like, I was like, now
I'm having fun, like now that I'm used to it.
It was so quick because there's such an a well
oiled machine. They just turning burn, turnhmer and turn and burn.
I mean, now, Greg was there the whole time, like

(44:07):
and he was just very a very generous scene partner,
and so I couldn't have asked for a better first
time on that set.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
What's a typical day, like, so you what time are
you being called in? Like walk us through a day.

Speaker 3 (44:18):
On I was at that fluctuate because there were some
days where I'd come in at like seven or eight
and then you're like get your hair and makeup, and
you do a quick rehearsal run and then all of
a sudden you're on set and then like if you
only have like one scene that day, like and you
get to go home, so you were only there for
like three or four hours, like this is great, And
then there was like I think only one of my days,
I think I was there for like seven or eight
hours in total. But there it's a little bit different

(44:41):
because like they're at it like an actual studio and
your dress rooms are on set. You don't have like
trailers in your own location or anything like that. So
it's a little it feels a little more lenient and
almost like a nine to five job feeling, because you're like,
I'm in my office and then you're like, it's time
for lunch, and so you can go to lunch. You
don't have like they don't have catering and things like that,
at least on days. And so yeah, some days you

(45:03):
might come in three or four hours go home, and
some days you might come in you're like seven hours, Like, okay,
so I'm bringing my laptop, make sure if I had
any other work to do, or watch some shows down
here in my little room or something. So yeah, you
kind of just kind of pluckschoids.

Speaker 1 (45:16):
It was fresh you you mentioned a little while ago
that now obviously because I watched You're Now with Hobby. Yeah,
And how was it? How how was it trying to
build that chemistry between Carrie and Hobby.

Speaker 3 (45:36):
Uh, Well, I knew going in obviously we were creating
a love triangle. So it was kind of a little
more fun for me knowing that we were having this
love triangle moments, so you get to play that like
that scorn little like not we're not really an x,
like they're kind of playing it up like we were exes,
but like yeah kind of, And so I got to
like play that a little bit, so it's kind of
more fun and like trying to be more teasy in
that way. So it made it easier to like want

(45:58):
to like latch onto Al's character and a hobby and
just like play it up a little bit more. Yeah, sorry, Yeah.
And then also like Al was also just like he'd
already been there for a little while, so he was
already more comfortable. So when I got on set, it
just kind of felt like I was coming back home
in a way, even though it was only once that

(46:18):
one day the first time, but I'd already I felt comfortable.
Al made me feel comfortable. And then yeah, he was
just really easy to work with as well, so like
it was just like just kind of just taking my
little block puzzle piece and just dropped me right in
and it just kind of fit and it worked.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
So it's so interesting that that triangle because on on
audition days we talked like, oh, we really would have
wish that Carrie and Leo worked out. But then you
see Carrie and Hobby and we're like wait, but then
we're like Leo and Hobby and we're like, we're so confused,
like we don't know who to put with.

Speaker 3 (46:49):
Who, but we kind of like it all, like do
them all three?

Speaker 1 (46:51):
Yeah, it's like the first five.

Speaker 2 (46:55):
Well, we see it happening in real life. Yeah, right,
oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (47:01):
Gotta love la you know.

Speaker 2 (47:05):
And also part of the conversation, you know, we're talking
about queer representation and soap operas. Another thing that we're
finally talking about in the entertainment and the acting industry
is mental health. You have talked very openly about losing
your brother and how that really affected you. You created
an organization. Can you talk a little bit about working

(47:25):
through that grief and that loss while you know, being
a creative makes us emotional people anyway.

Speaker 3 (47:33):
Right, I will say that because I'm from the South,
they don't really believe in therapy very much, or at
least growing up, therapy was like that's for crazy people
kind of a thing. You keep it in the house, correct,
and we really did. It was kept among the family,
and it was like in barely even that not that
my family like was ever the type of like no

(47:55):
cry or anything like that. They weren't really like that.
But the culture of where I'm from is more like that.
Ish you just didn't really express those feelings, you just
kept them inside. So I will said, did not deal
with it very well in the beginning, and so I
harbored a lot of the grief and just took it
with me and just kind of it just kind of
kept with me. So it took me a really really
long time to finally like start to let it all

(48:17):
out and be more expressive about it. And I do
think it hindered me probably a little bit, getting into
So I think coming moving to La I think was
when I sorted to feel like my most best version
of myself, because you're, you know, you've left the nest,
and that already in itself was a big move. And
then you start to meet different people from different cultures,

(48:37):
and you start learning different ways of life and thinkings,
and then all of a sudden, you're like just things
to start to release naturally, I think when you're like
less like in your little cage. And so I think
I started like dealing with it more and I think
talking about it more helped too. Not that again, not
that my family we didn't talk about it. We talked
about it all the time. It's like and it's even today,
like it's it's more how how ways can we keep

(48:59):
my brother alive? And that's of like talking about him.
So it's not like we don't talk about it. It was
just different, I guess. So yeah, I mean, i'd say
it definitely hindered me for a little bit, but I'm
thankful that I was found a way to eventually come
out of it.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Yeah. Yeah, everyone grieves very differently.

Speaker 3 (49:16):
That it's that's huge.

Speaker 1 (49:18):
Yeah, it's it's really big. By a few years ago,
my my dad passed and so watching my my parents
weren't together at the time, but watching how my mom
dealt with it, how my sister dealt with how I
dealt with it. You know, everyone deals with it in
such different ways, but it's always important to have like
some sort of support system so that way you can

(49:39):
get through it. But to your point, like in the South,
like it's you don't go to therapy, like you you
kind of either talk among it among the family or
you just kind of figure out a way to deal
with it on your own.

Speaker 2 (49:52):
So it's the same with Latino families. You know, we
trust me, we we need therapy, but you just you
just never talked about it. It was considered a bad
thing if you had to go to therapy. But you know,
as as a nation, we've been through so much loss
and grief through COVID and we see what what the
Los Angeles fires have done to our community, and grief

(50:12):
is the only thing that affects every single person, no
matter your sexual orientation, how old you are, how much
money you have, it affects everybody. And so I thank
you for talking, you know, about your loss and and
creating awareness of it, because we should be talking about
our mental.

Speaker 1 (50:26):
Health, especially in l A well, I mean really well as.

Speaker 3 (50:29):
A creative, especially if you.

Speaker 2 (50:33):
One day you're wearing Ellen underwear and being on a
national show and the next day you know you're fucking
up an audition and so h. But physical health is
also very important to you as well. You are you're
a fitness trader body ADDI Audi. We have seen you
half naked in some shows How I Met your father,
your Instagram, uh.

Speaker 3 (50:55):
In full naked. If you've watched I Love have not
gone I Love mix me in that show.

Speaker 1 (51:03):
Watch.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
You can google it right now. It's like you can
literally google and find it.

Speaker 2 (51:08):
In this very moment, our viewership just went down because
everybody's everyone's now wait a minute, what season were you in?

Speaker 3 (51:15):
It was the first season. I was in the fourth episode, so.

Speaker 2 (51:18):
I watched it a long time.

Speaker 3 (51:20):
Oh yeah, that's where I was. That was our chair
right before it went out. So I don't know if
you remember you.

Speaker 2 (51:25):
Yeah, soll on, I.

Speaker 1 (51:26):
Thought for two seconds you put the photo of that's
I was like.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
His head whiped, so he's got a whiplash over here,
and he's like, I need a massage. No, So yeah,
it was. It was the It was the full thing.
It was the firefighter remember the fire fighters scene, Like
so like the Taylor is the car Perez. His character
was like the Doom fire Fighters.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
Nothing gave him a prosthetic.

Speaker 3 (51:47):
By the way, that is a prosthetic. Yes, yeah, because
the joke you didn't he well I did not.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
Now mix available.

Speaker 3 (52:00):
But the joke joke was that Taylor's character was supposed
to have like just this massive penis, so like that's
yeah right exactly, So like that was the joke of it.
And so that's kind of why he got the prosthetic.
So yeah, I was one of the firefighters making fun
of him at the storyline. Yeah, so like so yeah,
I've done the full on and I've done them. Implied

(52:21):
on how amout your father's.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
So well as an actor? Because I always find it
interesting when I feel like that's a whole different like vulnerability,
like when to be like how do you mentally prepare
for that type of role?

Speaker 2 (52:37):
And this is a question we got many different ways,
is how have you worked through certain body issues? Obviously
you're very fit, but you know, nobody's ever one hundred
percent happy with their body. And then when you know
people are literally staring at every inch, how do you
work through some of those issues?

Speaker 3 (52:51):
It's a lot because I mean I don't know whoever
has followed my career, they probably seen like I am
at least shirtless and half the things I've done. If not,
then on how your father are being naked and practically
naked so it can be wearing. I mean, I've been
through my own body this morphy issues because I'll look
at back to my old photos and be like why
did I why did I think that I did not
look good? Like because like I look at myself now,

(53:12):
I'm like, getting older, it gets harder and like you're
just working through different issues and so like even at
the moment, I don't think I like that great, I'm not.
I'm not saying that. I'm like, I know, and it's
like I'm just sad as I'm saying. I'm like, I'm
just being honest.

Speaker 2 (53:25):
But it's funny how we look back, Like I felt
ugly then, but it's like, goddamn was.

Speaker 3 (53:30):
Hot and I was like wow, I was like I
would do me. It was like I was like, okay,
but no, So it's just like, yeah, it can be
mentally wearying. So like you push yourself extra hard because
it's like one of that one extra little milli centimeter
of abs the show and my little extra and then
trying to figure out the best angles and then learn
how to flex and not breathe while you're on set

(53:50):
at the same time. So it can it can be
a lot, but I'm thankful for it. So don't get
me wrong, cause for me, this has been my pathway
into the industry where where I'm at right now. So
because some people are just really naturally funny, like and
just that's how they get in or they're just like
really just really fucking good from the start and get lucky.
So like mine's I looked good with my clothes off.

(54:12):
So if that's what how to get noticed, that's that's great.
I'm hoping to to not necessarily like not that I
would never keep doing it, but hopefully I'm gonna be
known for more than that at some point too. Yeah,
but yeah, outside of that, like it can it can
be a little bit because it's like it's my birthday
and I know I was gonna be shirtless the next day,
and so I'm thinking, like I want more potatoes, Like right, well, wait,

(54:35):
I don't think we had cake. Oh wait no, my
friend had made a mixed berry pie. Is like she
makes this amazing homemade mixed berry pies, so she'd already
planned to make it, and she's like, you better eat
this because I splay a slaved over this for you.
I know you can't and you can be on set tomorrow.
I was like, I'm having a piece, Like that's.

Speaker 1 (54:51):
For sure, like I should. So you have to.

Speaker 3 (54:53):
You have to find ways to treat yourself, but then
also not to over indulge. And then I've been on
like vacations, and then I found out you're gonna be
back on days. I'm like, damn it, something like I
have to like be careful again what I'm eating and
like what I'm drinking. And I'm like like trying to
find out how can I work out while I'm out
of town and still look look good. So it's a
lot of work.

Speaker 2 (55:12):
That's so easy work every girl because I don't have
to worry about any of that.

Speaker 1 (55:16):
That takes a lot of a lot of discipline because
when and it.

Speaker 2 (55:19):
Can play on your mind too. Yeah, yeah, it's like
when is it good enough? When can I relax right
and take a breath.

Speaker 3 (55:25):
I will say I have a lot of myself in
the past year or two to be a little more
lean with myself just because like for one, luckily, thing
for not luckily. But we've had strikes. So we came
out of the strikes. I'm like, well, there's no work,
so I don't have to be as on top of things.
He's still like that's.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
A dangerous slope. Though COVID was it for me and
I was like okay, and I haven't bounced back.

Speaker 1 (55:44):
Oh, Like at the at the beginning of twenty twenty.
I was fit because I was a part of a
a group, fitness test group for uh what was that anyway,
some tests for the group, and I'm.

Speaker 2 (56:00):
Always doing something. You're always doing something. It's a game show,
it's it's a competition.

Speaker 1 (56:06):
Is random, it's a random occurrences. But then all of
a sudden, like I started baking during twenty twenty, so
I was making nothing else to do and like cornbread
and like rice Krispy trees, and yeah, I recovered for
a second, and then you know, I feel like Oprah.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
Ever bounce back from COVID No. I think a lot
of people say that too.

Speaker 3 (56:27):
They're like, no, yeah, they got their COVID ten or
COVID twenty and then it's been working to get it off.
I guess I was thankful because I was around other
people who were also trying to do their best to
stay fit. So we would literally all meet up, whether
it was at my apartment or someone else's apartment or
a park, and we would be working out with bands
and just whatever we had available. Yeah, so we had
that accountability, so like otherwise, it's really easy to fall off.

Speaker 1 (56:48):
I should have known, y'all because in the park with
a band and like, you know.

Speaker 2 (56:52):
I would wake up. The only exciting part of the
day was calling Uber Eats because you knew somebody was
coming to the door, and even that felt like a connection.
Oh wow, you know, so I would It's like twice
a day, and I just like knowing that there was
still people alive outside.

Speaker 3 (57:06):
Wow, I guess because I I everything I've ever done
growing up or not growing up, but like my work
has always been like serving or bartending, and like you're
constantly just around people. So I was so thankful for
COVID in that way because I was like, I'm just
happy to not have to be around people for a
little while.

Speaker 1 (57:20):
Yeah, because when you just.

Speaker 3 (57:21):
Like, because I worked at the Abbey bartending for a
while and so got out. Yeah you did it, yeah
for three and a half years.

Speaker 2 (57:27):
Yeah, then you must have seen me at my.

Speaker 3 (57:29):
Worst time I worked there, when the chapel opened.

Speaker 2 (57:32):
Do you still have my Okay debit card?

Speaker 3 (57:34):
Probably I have. I that was one that like I
lost someone's debit card one time. It felt through like
a crack and I felt so bad. It was only once,
but I was like, oh my god.

Speaker 1 (57:44):
I'm so crazy, Like I've I did not know that.
I don't know that.

Speaker 2 (57:47):
I definitely then you have definitely seen me.

Speaker 3 (57:49):
It was from the Chapel when it opened, because it
was more than New Chapel bartenders up until COVID and
then I wasn't there anymore.

Speaker 1 (57:55):
I would have seen you, like I'm out almost and
I was working at Mickey's, so I would always like.

Speaker 3 (58:00):
Make yeah, probably saw you probably probably probably.

Speaker 1 (58:05):
I always do a walk through, like I never stayed,
but I just did a walk through. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (58:11):
I'm Derek looking back at your career thus far, and
you've done a little bit of everything. What has been
a personal big achievement Not because it was the biggest credit,
not because it was the biggest audience or the biggest paycheck,
but because it was a personal obstacle and challenge for
you to get through.

Speaker 3 (58:26):
Hmmm, an obstacle version of the question that's like, really,
I don't know. I don't know if I've ever had
any roles that I felt like I had to do it,
like any kind of obstacle, either physical or mental.

Speaker 2 (58:45):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (58:46):
That's just because of the type of roles I've gotten
so far. Am I sound cliche? Maybe? Days then, just
because it's the most I've ever had to do and
the largest you know character in the roles and the scenes,
and you know, as we talked about earlier, like you
come on, you get like one meersal one chance to
film it pretty much and then you're done. So other
times and other scenes like I've messed up my one

(59:07):
line and you're like, all right, I guess we get
to do it again. And that one was like everyone's
like that's whatever. But with days like they're almost kind
of expecting you to come on and like you got
to know your stuff. So in that sense, I'm the
most proud of it because I did it, and I
honestly like there was a few times I was like
I'm I know, I'm gonna fuck this up, and then
I did it and then I'm like wow, like all right,

(59:30):
like I'm actually not that bad. I was like, this
is pretty cool. So it's kind of one of those
like like pat yourself in the back moments. So I
would say that on the flip side of like maybe
it wasn't an obstacle, but like it it's a lot
of work that was fresh.

Speaker 1 (59:46):
That's the thing that people don't realize, like in the
industry that soap factors do not get enough credit for
for the work that they do.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
The fact that rememorizing how many pages I so many pages?

Speaker 1 (59:57):
Yeah, and then and you can't really like improv or
mess up a line because it pertains to storyline and
you really only get one take to like get this correct,
to convey you know, every type of emotion that you
need to have, and so like, you know, kudos to
the soap actors because I feel how you felt. I
was on Days Well, the spinoff of Beyond Salem, which

(01:00:21):
was a dream come true for me, especially watching the
show for so long. I always said I wanted to
be on the show, and I was so nervous on
that spinoff they did yeah, yeah, yeah, but I was
like super nervous because my scene was with Drake Hogusen
May he rest in peace, and like he's a lugeon.

Speaker 2 (01:00:38):
No I didn't okay with your actor, no, no.

Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
But but it was, it was. It's so intimidating because
you have to be you have to be on it
because they.

Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
Are crew was just waiting for you so they can
go on the next scene exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
So luckily you do give yourself a pat on the
bat when you press through and you're like, yes, nailed it.
Yeah great.

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
Plus it must be nerve wrecking working for soap opera.
You know, when you film a TV show, the show
goes out, you don't know who sees it, but you know,
for fact, Days of Our Lives has those group of
people that are watching it every single day.

Speaker 1 (01:01:06):
And yeah they will they they will let you know
if if if, if you're a character that's that's very hated,
know that you're doing your job. If you're well liked,
you're doing your job. But but soap fans have no
qualms about holding back and being like.

Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
I hate you or I love you.

Speaker 3 (01:01:26):
I had a few, like when I first came out
on the first day, they were like, don't you hurt
my Leo? Like, I had a few of those like
in the comments, but no one was like really threatening.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34):
The people love.

Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
Greg like they do. Yeah, but but not so to
uh asking about like fans of because the biggest thing
for us finding out last week was that Carrie was
Lady Whistleblower, who has been a mystery UH since, which
is the reason why Leo and Hovey broke up because
Leo accused Hovey of being Lady Whistleblower And then last

(01:01:57):
week it was revealed that Cam he was like, was
was there any sort of fan like gay gas or
like oh I knew it, or like how could you
or anything like that.

Speaker 3 (01:02:09):
There's a couple of people. I had a few people
message being like like are you Lady Whistleblower? And I'm like, oh,
I played really coy. I was like, I was like,
I was like, isn't Leo Laddy Whistleblower, like acting like
I had no idea that it even switched, and they're
like no, like he hasn't been with Lady Whistlebler for
a while. And I was like, oh, okay, well, like
I only get my scripts, so I don't know, Like
I was just like just playing it like I don't

(01:02:31):
know whatever. Like but even when I first came back,
I didn't know it was Lady Whistleblower. Ye, it took
it took a minute. And then even like it was
funny because like I walked into the dress team one
day and I was like, guys, I found out I'm
Lady Whistleblower and everyone's like what, like like the little
hair make people had no idea yet. Yeah, so they're like, oh.

Speaker 1 (01:02:47):
My gosh that that was quite a twist because I
I had in my mind someone else who was Lady Whistleblower. Okay,
so when it was revealed that that you were, I
was like, Oh, I was like, oh, okay, so this
is about to get good now.

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
Well, I'm glad that that you you didn't get the twistling,
because I did have a few people like messages like
are you like I think, like, that's my prediction that
you are.

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
Like, I mean, there there are some again that dedication
and that loyalty that soap fans have, Like that's why
so bactors have to be very careful with like what
they say as far as like with storylines and stuff,
and they have to remember, Okay, what's what's aired right now?
What's because they know what's going to happen in eight
or nine months for now, and if you give a

(01:03:32):
hint or an inkling, fans are like, oh and next thing,
you know, they know the whole entire storyline. Me, I'm
not that, I'm not that quipped with it. I just
wait until it airs well.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
And what they post, because I know some people have
gotten in trouble posting things, yeah, out of order, out
of time or like why is this character in this
place or with this person? And it gives things away
too early. So like I was, I've heard some of
the drama about that, oh getting fired over it. So
they're really strict right now, such a big I.

Speaker 1 (01:04:00):
Wouldn't see that you want you went, because you would
go on set. You'd be taking pictures of stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:04:05):
And everything, the biggest mouth and like always there and
see not realizing that a picture with a whistle. Yeah,
that's what.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
So fans will zoom in on like like if you're
in the makeup room, like they'll zoom in on like
where like the actors that are there, and they'll be like, oh,
this person.

Speaker 2 (01:04:22):
It's yeah, it's a lot, Derek. Philanthropy is a big
part of your life as well. Where did this kind
of spirit come from? Is that part of Chattanooga?

Speaker 3 (01:04:33):
Yeah, I mean like it's all about giving back and
just like you know, like there's that small part of
you and like you know, community and just wanting to
you know, like not just always just be contained to yourself.
So yeah, I guess, so that's kind of like where
it kind of came from, the Southern hospitality.

Speaker 2 (01:04:48):
And recently you you donated something very personal to you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:52):
Yeah, if you've watched in the show, you see that
Carrie has long hair.

Speaker 2 (01:04:56):
That is my beautiful hair, real hair.

Speaker 3 (01:05:00):
Actually someone today I was like, they were like, wait,
your hair was actually long before, and I was like, yeah,
like you know, but now if you're watching, it's gone.
It's because I cut my hair. I was growing it
for about two years, and I decided I wanted to
donate it to locks of love and memory of my brother.
He died. He was hitten by a drunk driver and yeah,

(01:05:20):
so he was actually wanting to donate his hair, and
he was growing it to be able to donate it.
And then because of the wreck and how bad it was,
there was just no way for us to still do it.
And so then my mom actually did it before, and
then I decided I wanted to do it now because
I was I was just gonna it turned out like
I was. At first, I was like too busy to
cut it because I was. I learned how to cut
my hair in COVID, and then I got too busy

(01:05:41):
to cut it, and then I went out of town
and then I came back and I was talking to
my friend and she was like just grow it, just
kind of see what happens. And I was like, okay, gorgeous.
And then I got through the like ugly stage cute stage,
ugly stage, cute stage, and I kept going back and forth,
back and forth, back and forth, and eventually got long
enough where I was like, wow, okay, maybe I should
like actually grow it and donate it. And then that
kind of where it turned into. And two years in

(01:06:02):
I got about eleven inches and donated to Locks.

Speaker 1 (01:06:05):
Of Love of Hair eleven inches.

Speaker 3 (01:06:07):
And raised sixteen hundred dollars to help cover the cost
of the wig and all that stuff for the kid.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
So that's amazing. I just have to talk another about
another aspect. You know, you talked about your brother being unfortunately,
you know, killed in a drunk driving accident. The woman
who who was driving you incorporated her into your organization. Yeah,
I read that and I had to reread it. I
don't know that I would be such a bigger person

(01:06:35):
to be able to do that. How did that even
come about?

Speaker 3 (01:06:39):
My mom would definitely be the spearhead of that one,
just because she's faith based and so that was a large,
large part of her and she really felt moved and
compelled that she needed to be a part of this
woman's life because she knew that as much as that
we were going through grief and pain, imagine what this
woman's going through having killed someone and it's about to

(01:07:00):
destroy her life and go to jail and leave her
kids behind. And so she made sure to like she
went and visited her while she was in prison, and
then we ended up as a family deciding not everyone,
but most of us were like, we forgive her, Like
it helped that she was actually remorseful if she had
like been someone who's like I don't care or whatever, like,
but you could actually tell that she was trying really

(01:07:21):
hard to actually make up for what she had done.
And so my mom would go visit her, and then
we commissioned her a petition for her to get out early,
and so part of her probation was to be a
part of our nonprofit. So her my mom would team
up and go and talk to like different organizations in schools,
and then my mom would introduce her as the woman
who killed her son, and then she'd walk up and

(01:07:43):
you know, like you could hear a pin drop kind
of a thing. So, yeah, and it's made a world
of difference having her a part of it and now
like she's living a great life and she's married and
has another baby, or he's not a baby now, and
so he's kind of like a like she's like almost
like an aunt or a sister kind of a thing,
and you know, kind of pulled into our family and

(01:08:05):
my mom talks to her all the time.

Speaker 1 (01:08:07):
I can only imagine that believe that that may help
with the grieving process in a in a very like
roundabout way, like.

Speaker 3 (01:08:14):
Holding off this contentment about it, like you've forgiven the
person and then you get to release that you know,
anger and find a healthier way to you know, to
release it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:24):
Yeah, And I think you're You're definitely right in the
because I I know Alexander is like having the time
wrapping his head around that. But I think, uh, I
think when when you're with someone that's that's very remorseful
for what they did and has learned from it and
willing to kind of help others not make the same mistake,

(01:08:47):
I think it it helps in in some way because
I'm I'm torn between like being like your mom and
being very forgiving, right and you know, checking in on
this person. But then there's also the patty side of
me that like wants to like yeah and like wish
ill will and be like Karma's gonna get you, like
you know, but but I feel like, you know, you
can't faster those feelings because then it starts eating at.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
You, so I think, but she still has to relive
it every time we post about his birthday and every
time we is death date, Like she still has to
relive it every day at least twice a year, if not,
like obviously every day to think about it, but like
she gets those reminders, and I'm sure every time she
sees any of us, like that's still there for her.
So and just the fact that she's wanted to do

(01:09:30):
her part and making sure this didn't happen again to
anybody else, wasn't it was enough for us?

Speaker 1 (01:09:36):
Yeah to you as well.

Speaker 2 (01:09:39):
I think maybe we just need to have a little
bit more grace with people, especially we don't know what
our nation is up against in the next few years.
Obviously we are a divided nation. And if we just
take a moment and have a little grace with each other.

Speaker 1 (01:09:52):
A little grace and find your peace and some corn.

Speaker 3 (01:09:55):
Bread kalepenion cornbread are you kidding me.

Speaker 2 (01:09:59):
I mean, let I love a king white white people,
just a regular corn bread with some sweet tea.

Speaker 1 (01:10:09):
I love some sweet teah, me too, Me too.

Speaker 2 (01:10:12):
Derek, What kind of legacy do you want to build
with your body of work?

Speaker 3 (01:10:16):
That's why it sounds so cliche, But like, I've always
wanted to be a superhero in my.

Speaker 1 (01:10:22):
Career.

Speaker 2 (01:10:23):
Marvel, are you listening, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:25):
Like Kevin Figy, if you're watching or you're hearing this,
please like X Men's coming up, let me be one, please? Yeah,
they're about to do that whole just be really fun.

Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
I know nothing about this. I am that game where like,
you know, like comics sports.

Speaker 2 (01:10:42):
Who would you be at Cyclops?

Speaker 3 (01:10:44):
People will say I would be a good Cyclops. But
I did some research and there's another character called X Man,
which is a Cyclops and Jean Gray's son at some point.
He's like some like crazy powerful type of being, and
so I was like, let's be him if they would
ever even do that because he's like further into the comics.
I don't know like how deep they're going to do
this storyline, but just like what's superheroes stand for in

(01:11:06):
the whole genre of just like hope and it just
like makes you feel good at the end. I just
I want to have that kind of like I want
to leave people with that feeling with the work that
I end up getting to do.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
And I feel like you are so sincere, Like if
anybody else were to have said that, we'd be like
mm hmm, but you're such a sincere person.

Speaker 3 (01:11:25):
Well, because like I was like my favorite movie of
all time. This sounds crazy too, is Mulin Rouge.

Speaker 2 (01:11:30):
I read up you talked about it in an interview.

Speaker 3 (01:11:33):
Yeah, yeah, And the reason is because like I was
in the time of my life when someone showed me
this movie. It was like so off the wall, but
then at the end of it, I was just like
I was so hopeful and full of like like I
just wanted to feel like what those people felt in love,
and then I wanted that I want to be able
to make people feel that way about when I like
when they see me on screen, and so that's kind
of what moved me to Like that's when I was like, oh,

(01:11:54):
I want to be an actor, Like I want to
make sure people feel good about themselves after they watch
a movie and like have this favorite movie view of
mine that they're watching because it makes him feel good
in their time of like need or grief or whatever.
So so yeah, I would I like to think I'm
genuine and when I say.

Speaker 2 (01:12:09):
That ten times in the theater, but I saw Romeo
and Juliet fifteen times in the theater. Wow, okay, okay.

Speaker 3 (01:12:18):
Yeah, yeah, I actually don't like I've ever seen that one. C.
Dames Yeah, I know, DiCaprio, yea, Oh you have to
like it looks I was intrigued by, but for some
reason I never never saw it. Just never got around.

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
Well now, well now it's on your list of things
to watch.

Speaker 3 (01:12:34):
What are you guys doing after this?

Speaker 2 (01:12:36):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (01:12:36):
Is it? Watch? Is it movie night?

Speaker 3 (01:12:38):
We can make a movie now.

Speaker 1 (01:12:39):
I mean, I'm I'm down for I'm here for Yeah,
I've been. I'm like sitting here and just up on the.

Speaker 3 (01:12:47):
Screen, will watch it while we're on right here.

Speaker 1 (01:12:49):
In the podcast, I realized how how gay I am,
because as you're talking about oh, Cyclops and X men,
I'm like, what superhero would I want to be? Storm?

Speaker 3 (01:12:57):
I mean storms bad?

Speaker 2 (01:12:59):
I'm like you who's sniffing around her story?

Speaker 3 (01:13:03):
When she said that, I was like, usually, I'm like,
I'm tired of smart. I'm tired of the stunt casting though.
But when she said it, I was like, you know what,
I was like, I'm here.

Speaker 2 (01:13:10):
I'm here for that.

Speaker 1 (01:13:14):
Yeah, she was.

Speaker 3 (01:13:16):
My agent is too, like, oh, you're on the podcast
talking about it like.

Speaker 1 (01:13:20):
This is going to be a part of your package.

Speaker 3 (01:13:21):
You're a pitch packagesting exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:13:26):
We approved this message that way they can clip this
to the end of it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:29):
As long as I'm shirtless, I'm like, we're gonna.

Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
Make Oh yeah, absolutely, of course, no prosthetic needed.

Speaker 3 (01:13:34):
Oh wow, we went to the naked like superhero just.

Speaker 1 (01:13:36):
Like just it's like from shirtless to naked, there's there's
no in between.

Speaker 2 (01:13:40):
Right, what's your biggest wish for yourself? And I know
you know you're always giving out to other people, but
are reflective and we can pack yourself on the back.
What do you want for yourself most this year?

Speaker 3 (01:13:53):
Oh goodness, I mean the goal is always like to
hopefully be an inner full time, and so I've been
working on building my team out larger with different styles
of agents and types of agents. So I'm hoping to
make myself full time and immersed one hundred percent without
having to have any side gigs like not that I
don't love personal training and helping other people reach their goals.

Speaker 2 (01:14:15):
Do people sign up just so they can see.

Speaker 3 (01:14:18):
I've had a few people try that, but I can
always see around it, like it's so quick and easy,
like you get one message and then you you message
them and all of a sudden, they're like, so I
want to work out my thong, you know, Like sorry,
I'm I'm the wrong guy for that. That's this job.

Speaker 1 (01:14:36):
Well maybe that will get them motivate, like they see
themselves in the thong and right.

Speaker 3 (01:14:43):
I mean, I'm not I'm not hating on it, and
there's I'm not hating on someone who would do it. It
was just like I'm like, I'm not I work it
at a gym, Like it's not a thing. That's all
I know, Like you're not serious about this something like
I mean, I'm moving on to the next one. So
not that I'm not excited about having to say no
to these people, but doing like I've been. I've been

(01:15:03):
writing an actually to pilot for a bit of a
TV show that I'm working on and hoping to get pitched.
I've toyed around with the idea of like a podcast.
I've already kind of like got some ideas working for that.
So to do I know, I might have to get
a little like I think, come on and be a
co host again and a little cross collabs.

Speaker 2 (01:15:22):
So we should interview Greg.

Speaker 3 (01:15:24):
Yeah, that'd be fun. Yeah, or al or or.

Speaker 2 (01:15:27):
We'll do a little love try and yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:15:34):
So yeah, that's that's my hope this year is to
finally transition into being full time entertainer, whether it means
doing the podcast and doing acting and have to do
a little bit of all of it so it adds
up so I don't have to worry about anything else.
That would be my hope.

Speaker 1 (01:15:46):
And and being financially stable.

Speaker 3 (01:15:48):
Yeah correct, and not just like struggling, Like I.

Speaker 2 (01:15:50):
Don't want to be like kind of rough here for
all of us.

Speaker 3 (01:15:53):
And then now with the fires, like gig workers and
people are just getting hit already, like we just like
we just got in the week, like we just got
we're too weeks and I'm like, oh my gosh, like okay,
but we're gonna come out of this. Yeah, we're gonna
figure it out.

Speaker 1 (01:16:04):
Most people are so over twenty twenty five already.

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
I'm like, hey, we're only gonna pay it for a
dollar for eggs, right.

Speaker 3 (01:16:10):
So right, exactly? Sure, Oh it was fresh. What is
your message to your fans um following your dreams? I
mean that's again another cliche answer, but like coming from you,
it's like like because I did it. I'm a little

(01:16:30):
small town Tennessee boy from Chattanooga, Tennessee who thought you
wanted to be a singer, turned into a model, and
then decided someone just had to be an actor, and
I tried it, and here we are. I'm on this
podcast talking about my recurring guestar role on Days of
Our Lives and I watched when I was a little kid,
So like it, it can happen, It can happen for you.
But the biggest thing is like I've been doing this
since at least twenty nine, so like that's a long

(01:16:51):
fucking time to go after something. And that's what I
think I hold most to myself fro Like another pat
of my back is people always like you just aren't
going to give up, like you you persevere Like that
is like that's the word that people use it with
me most is perseverance, And so I like, just persevere,
just do it if you want to do it. Don't stop,

(01:17:11):
find a way like just you just got to keep going,
going to do it exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:17:15):
Know, a lot of people come to l A just
to be famous, so it's like, well, what does that mean.
They don't have a passion to be an actor.

Speaker 3 (01:17:20):
They don't want to be famous, Like you can be
famous doing TikTok if it's still here in your own
little hometown. I don't think it's going to be here,
by the way, right, Well, I don't know. Now the
new Rummor is elon my beginning is the new roumor.

Speaker 2 (01:17:31):
Let's run another platform.

Speaker 3 (01:17:32):
Yeah, that's that's the news place.

Speaker 1 (01:17:34):
He doesn't find out, he doesn't need it. I think.
I also just read mister Beast might be a part
of it. I mean, he seems to have money to
throw around. I've been watching So Good. Have you been watching?
Oh my god, I'm so so I was. I watched
talking about.

Speaker 3 (01:17:53):
Games on Prime So good. So watch the Traders at all?

Speaker 2 (01:17:57):
I watched Beauty and the Beast, watching watching Traders to go.

Speaker 3 (01:18:01):
We need to hold the podcast about that.

Speaker 2 (01:18:03):
Somebody tell me why Tom Sound of All had such
sweaty armpits. Right, Well, you're on TV, sir.

Speaker 3 (01:18:11):
He must have been just like you can tell he
was show a couple of times.

Speaker 1 (01:18:14):
I think I think it's two things with that one.
Number one, he was wearing a sweater, and so I
feel like on top of that and being at the breakfast,
he's like he's sweating because you're you're waiting to see
who got murdered the night before, you're trying to figure
out who the like he was going through it at
that Prectice can't.

Speaker 2 (01:18:30):
Even sweat that way with Ariana and like that. It
was cool sting up a storm yo yas listening to
their episodes.

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
But it's fun to see his little close up moments
and then he show his face. He's like near in
the headlights, like yeah, I'm just trying so hard to
figure out.

Speaker 1 (01:18:45):
What's going on.

Speaker 2 (01:18:46):
I don't know what's gonna happen with all of those
what like Sheena and Tom and La La.

Speaker 1 (01:18:52):
Well, I mean I feel like in some ways, like
Tom is, I mean, he's going to be fine. He's
like on Traders now, and they had.

Speaker 2 (01:18:59):
To cancel some of his gigs right because his like
singing gigs didn't sell. That's what I heard.

Speaker 1 (01:19:05):
Oh well, then he just has to like find something else.
La LA's doing fine. She has a book that's out now.
She was just on, are you smarter than a celebrity?

Speaker 2 (01:19:15):
Sorry, I mean you know, Oh my god, I couldn't
even I couldn't even watch Beast Games.

Speaker 3 (01:19:21):
That's where I was going. If you like Traders, you
like this in a different way. It's I couldn't get
into Traders. What I like watching like telling you over
here's what like the means and all.

Speaker 1 (01:19:30):
That, and like Housewives is my jem, but Traders, you
watch Traders.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
I watched three episodes and I just couldn't which, uh
yeah you and I are you kidding?

Speaker 1 (01:19:45):
You mean the first episode of Trader season two, I
was hooked. I also hooked that I started doing common
on my Instagram.

Speaker 2 (01:19:53):
Oh An m from Shaw's at Sunset. Yeah, and she's
done this show plenty of times.

Speaker 1 (01:19:57):
Do you have to you have to like it so good?
It's like, yes, it's an hour episodes, but like it's
so suspenseful and there's so many like.

Speaker 3 (01:20:08):
My god, this season though, I feel like their cat
Like from the moment I first sort of watched, I
was like, this cast is good. Yeah, I don't know
what it was about the chemistry of everybody, maybe maybe
try this season just for the sake of it. And
there's different twist and turns from the very beginning that
you might just enjoy it differently because it's not as
like slow. It's like almost like in the first like
seven minutes like, oh there's a little twist already.

Speaker 1 (01:20:30):
So and of course Alan's fashions are.

Speaker 3 (01:20:33):
Even bigger this like every season is bigger and bigger.
I'm like, how are they going to top this? And
they figure it out.

Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
When he wore that like clueless, like envant guarde, like
being in the middle of the forest, I was like, oh,
I live.

Speaker 2 (01:20:46):
This is the best thing he could have done for
his career.

Speaker 1 (01:20:48):
Oh yeah, I mean they're so good. He's so perfect
for I don't think there's anyone else that could have
hosted Traders besides Alan.

Speaker 3 (01:20:55):
I don't think you want anybody else.

Speaker 2 (01:20:57):
No, Les could, No rumors are be coming back to Atlanta.

Speaker 1 (01:21:01):
She should, she should, she should definitely go.

Speaker 3 (01:21:04):
More than I don't watch housewives, I will say that.

Speaker 2 (01:21:08):
See the show.

Speaker 3 (01:21:12):
There's just so many And also just like I don't
get in. I never fell into the reality thing, like
I'm barely just now getting into reality competition series like
shows like with squid Game, the game audition for project
competition series are a little bit different because I like,
I like that I'm very competitive, Like even though I'm
not always good at whatever I'm doing, I'm like so

(01:21:32):
into it?

Speaker 2 (01:21:33):
Are you really? But you're so nice?

Speaker 1 (01:21:34):
Oh no.

Speaker 3 (01:21:35):
When I'm playing the game, the clause will come yeah,
I'm like, I really like And if people aren't playing
the game right, I get so I'm like, why are you?
Why are you here? Why are you here?

Speaker 2 (01:21:48):
Okay, here's this question? And can you put another draw
two card? After a draw two cards?

Speaker 1 (01:21:54):
Should be able to?

Speaker 3 (01:21:55):
I think you should be able to. I think that
recently came out technical rules like house girls like no,
like bitch, like you're getting another one, Like we're gonna
keep flapping them down until someone runs out and sorry,
you get twelve now.

Speaker 1 (01:22:08):
I would make you draw to draw forward, reverse that
skip all of.

Speaker 3 (01:22:12):
Its I was like, someone's gone.

Speaker 2 (01:22:16):
But we're talking about like soap operas, and I think
soap opera, like the storylines really gave way to like
real housewives because we're talking about women being caddie. We're
talking about also women in power too. Soap operas feature
women are running their own companies, but there's a lot
of you know, housewife energy, and I think it really
paved the way for this kind of I think if.

Speaker 1 (01:22:38):
You, if you enjoy soaps, you definitely enjoy like housewives,
just because housewives feel more a little more relatable, like
they feel like you're you know, you're the girlfriend that
you know that's down the street, whereas like, you know,
an actual soap, those are just really characters that you
like versus like you like their energy, like their vibe,

(01:22:59):
you like their fasts.

Speaker 2 (01:23:00):
You know that I feel like family too when you
see them day after day.

Speaker 1 (01:23:03):
They do, they do become family. But I need you
to start watching the house Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:23:09):
So much to get me in the Big Brother. So
like I'm like not even like I don't watch Big Brother,
I don't watch Big Book. I think if I watched it,
I really would like it.

Speaker 2 (01:23:19):
You would.

Speaker 3 (01:23:19):
I'm just like, I'm like, you know, I got the
traders now, like that.

Speaker 2 (01:23:23):
If you most of the traders are from housewie.

Speaker 3 (01:23:26):
I know, I know in all the competition series, I
know I will just like I just would get so
immersed in I'm afraid I get I would get so
immo immersed into the world of the competition series and
reality series that I would never have time for anything else.

Speaker 1 (01:23:40):
Big Brother is it is a commitment.

Speaker 3 (01:23:42):
Because isn't it runs way long?

Speaker 1 (01:23:44):
Right?

Speaker 3 (01:23:44):
Like it's like super super yeah outside of the norm.

Speaker 1 (01:23:47):
And there's like three episodes a week and like.

Speaker 3 (01:23:50):
Right, and then you have to watch the twenty four
to seven live fees.

Speaker 2 (01:23:53):
I don't even even want to see a boyfriend three
times a week, like once a week, isn't.

Speaker 3 (01:23:57):
Like I'm like, I don't, I can't. That's too much comment. Okay,
well we'll let that, thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:24:02):
I'll let Housewives slide if you will look at a
season of Big Brother Housewives.

Speaker 3 (01:24:07):
First, we'll see because I have a friend who really
wants me to watch it.

Speaker 1 (01:24:11):
If you like Traders, you'll like Big Brothers.

Speaker 2 (01:24:13):
Tony and wrapping up. What do you think the future
of soaproper operas look like? Because we know that they've
gone to online. We know that, you know, there used
to be soap operas on every single network and now
it's just not. What do you think the future of
soap operas.

Speaker 1 (01:24:26):
Are I think there's still hope in soap operas. They
still have a very loyal audience. I think the smartest
thing that happened with Days is taking it from NBC
and putting it on Peacock. It's been like in the
top ten for numerous times on.

Speaker 3 (01:24:44):
Oh so you actually liked them moved to streaming. Yes,
So I've read a lot of people saying like, well,
I'm not going to watch it now because it's not
on cable.

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
It well, we don't have cable anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:24:51):
Well, really, the people it's true, Yeah, the people who
are saying that or are of an older generation who
don't feel like the need to pay for something that
they've been watching for fifty years for free, you know.
But but I think I think what they did with
like Beyond Salem and trying to push the audience to

(01:25:11):
streaming was very smart. And I think that soap, the
soap genre will be like reignited with the newest soap
that's coming to CBS called Beyond the Gates.

Speaker 3 (01:25:25):
Auditioned for that.

Speaker 1 (01:25:26):
What. Yeah, So there's a there's a brand new soap
opera coming to CBS called Beyond the Gates. It's a
predominantly black soap opera, which is there's there's a lot
of things with this. It's it's the first soap opera
that they've had in about twenty five years, so predominantly
black cast with this. Anything about this, well, because you're
not in the soap world like we are, Well it

(01:25:48):
comes out February twenty four. Yeah, so you have to
add that to your your list of things to watch.

Speaker 2 (01:25:55):
We know the soap opera genre on beet has done
extremely well and it's had a whole resurgence, so this
is very interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:26:02):
Yeah, I think I I think soaps will always be around,
but it will always be in a different form, whether
it's primetime, daytime, there will always reality TV. There will
always be some form of the soap opera genre around.
We just like when other people have drama, it's comforting.
Life is not that bad. I mean, she slept with

(01:26:23):
her brother's alien abducted, or now she's back from the dead,
or there's a twin or.

Speaker 3 (01:26:32):
You always I want to come back as a twin.
But the short of Carrie, like maybe Terry or something,
Terry's short haired.

Speaker 1 (01:26:43):
Or something. I mean, it could happen. It could happen.
I mean, anything is possible in the soap world. Really, nothing, nothing.

Speaker 3 (01:26:50):
I think they're doing a twin story right now.

Speaker 1 (01:26:52):
They are so uh Gaylen Garring who plays Ray Fernandez,
he has his uh uh like Doppeledinger that many years
ago they hired to like do some stuff, and so
that storyline has recently been revisited. You know, I know
a thing or two.

Speaker 2 (01:27:13):
I think it was One Life to Live that had
the twin. It was Adam Chandler. What's his name or something? Oh,
we're talking way back. I mean I was a little kid.

Speaker 1 (01:27:22):
Yeah, just a few years ago.

Speaker 2 (01:27:25):
Yeah, Derek, tell everybody where they can find and follow you.

Speaker 3 (01:27:29):
I'm primarily on Instagram, Derek Yates, it's on the screen,
is here here, but if you're listening, it's d E
r E K y A T E s.

Speaker 2 (01:27:37):
And apparently we need to watch MINX season one again again.

Speaker 3 (01:27:40):
You can you can google not.

Speaker 1 (01:27:42):
Apro.

Speaker 3 (01:27:44):
I have no shame, like good.

Speaker 2 (01:27:46):
For you, and I love that we're celebrating the male form.
I mean, I remember growing up in a PG thirteen movie.
As I was growing up, we saw tits left and right.

Speaker 3 (01:27:53):
Yeah, like I remember watching Titanic when I was like underagent,
like boobies, like look, oh my god.

Speaker 2 (01:27:59):
Every horror film everything. But now we're seeing male nudity,
it's like, yes, it's about.

Speaker 3 (01:28:03):
Time, and even implied nudity on like Network TV, You're like,
you see it, So it's like it's becoming a little
more norm Fine.

Speaker 2 (01:28:09):
The weird thing is prosthetics. They don't use prosthetic boobs
on women.

Speaker 3 (01:28:13):
Well, the role is obviously if it's a really big penis,
it's gonna be hard to find that on an actor
who you want to actually cast.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
I'm Latina. We don't have a problem and.

Speaker 3 (01:28:22):
Or they can't have a hard penis on screen without
it being porn, so they have to do the prosthetics.
So that's another reason why you're seeing prosthetics.

Speaker 2 (01:28:30):
Oh okay, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:28:35):
Well, first and foremost, you can find me every Sunday
at three pm Pacific seveny times six pm Eastern Standard
time on audition days. And you can find me on
all social media platforms at Lounging with Tony.

Speaker 2 (01:28:47):
Lounge with Tony, and come to West Hollywood.

Speaker 1 (01:28:49):
Oh yeah, you can come to West Hollywood Revolver every
Friday night for Fridays five to nine. Do you host it?
I do?

Speaker 3 (01:28:57):
Oh yeah, okay, Oh it's good to know West Hollywood.

Speaker 1 (01:28:59):
Come by, hi, say Hi, have a cocktail? Yeah cool?

Speaker 2 (01:29:03):
Yeah, all right. Well that's it, folks. It's always a
grab bag of fun here and on the Rocks. You
never know who's going to show up. Big thank you
to our engineer and station owner Tony Sweet. Please like, share,
subscribe so we can continue bringing this fabulous program in
coming your way for free until next time. Stay happy,
stay healthy, stay sexy, and if you drink, stay tipsy.
Yessayez phoot up on the Rocks, Tweet me and slide

(01:29:27):
into my dms on Twitter and Instagram at on the
Rocks on air. Find everything on the Rocks for free
at on the Rocks Radio Show dot com. Subscribe, like, review,
and share until next week. Stay fabulous,

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