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March 31, 2024 67 mins

Hello Backstory fans! In this special episode we first jump into some of the traditions and trivia regarding Easter. From egg hunts and sugar-loaded candies to family meals, we reflect on diverse Easter traditions. Matt talks about Easter facts, exploring the origin of the Easter Bunny and the production of the iconic candy, Peeps. Tune in for this fun Easter special garnished with laughter, nostalgia, and a dash of heated debates. 

We also welcome the return of Rick Cosnett  to the podcast, who starred as Eddie in 'The Flash,' where he discusses the evolution of his character, challenges faced on the set, and memorable experiences during the series run. Rick talks about Eddie's transformation from a supervillain to a superhero, the emotional ending of the series, and how these reflected his own personal growth. We also discuss navigating the unpredictable landscape of industry interviews and performing dangerous stunts. Explore Rick's journey across contrasting roles, varying projects, surreal surroundings, and his unwavering love for acting that led him from Australia to the US.

 We uncover Rick's dream of portraying many diverse characters, his passion for the theater, and his ambitious web series project 'The Vacluse Daily.’ Experience his star-struck moments, expectations for future projects, and excitement for upcoming seasons of 'Palm Royale' and "911". The episode is filled with laughter, vivid storytelling, and reflections.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey everybody, it's Kat, and I want to welcome you to this episode of Backstory Sessions.
I'm joined today by my co-host, Matt.
Hey Matt, happy Easter! Hey Kat, happy Easter. Hey everyone,
happy Easter to you as well.
Yeah, so, you know, it's a really important holiday in the year,

(00:23):
and people celebrate it, you know, in many ways.
Whether, I mean, I think when you're a child, you know, it's kind of a little
bit more exciting, but, you know, adults, they really like get into it too, you know?
Yeah, I mean, it's like a candy holiday, so for kids, it's probably the same

(00:46):
as like Halloween, maybe?
Yeah, I would say a lot like that, only, you know, you get to hunt for the prize egg. Right, yeah.
I forget here in Barberville today they had the Easter egg hunt for the city or whatever.
And I don't know, it was like 25,000 or something, 250,000. I don't know.

(01:13):
I mean, it's an astronomical amount of Easter eggs that they hid for the children.
Well, 250,000 would be quite a lot.
Lot well you know 25 000 quite
a lot too yes but it was i think
they were in three like you know age different age

(01:33):
group things but you know it was like 250 prizes too or something so yeah i
mean it was a lot of work went into that yeah i wonder what kind of prizes they
were i don't well so i do know this i don't know what kind of prizes were for
that but based on Starting at,
I think it was like 2 o'clock They made an announcement that In the downtown of Barberville,

(01:59):
Kentucky That they had hidden like 7 or 8 gold eggs.
And all you had to do was go and find those, then send a picture and give me
the instructions, and you got $50.
Wow, nice. Yeah, so that'll buy you quite a bit of Easter candy, especially if you wait.

(02:23):
Now, this is a tip. Wait until Monday when it gets marked.
Take your $50. Yeah. You can get a lot more candy at that time.
Yeah good thinking yeah well i
mean the sad thing is like it may be that
not as good candy because yeah it's

(02:44):
always like that russell rusty stover candy
instead of the hershey's stuff because nobody
wants that oh my gosh
well you can already not find
a white chocolate bunny i'm
told so in kentucky i would

(03:06):
say more in the tri-county area yeah okay i mean who knows it could be in all
of kentucky that stuff's pretty good i know you don't prefer it but because
we did have this as a poll question but right yeah i'm not a big i mean i guess
it's the same but But I don't know.
It's just maybe a psychological thing.

(03:28):
Yeah. Well, you know, I mean, I can't eat a whole, like, bunny rabbit of any kind.
Like, I cannot eat just, you know, like a bunch of chocolate of any kind all at once like that.
Yeah. I get sick just like Halloween. Eat too much of it.
Yeah. so but i do

(03:51):
like the hollow ones better than the
others because you know then the solid ones yeah
yeah why would that be i think because you can almost eat the whole bunny okay
well what what part of what part do you start with the ear yeah well i mean

(04:11):
do you like like break off a challenge or you just yes yes i break up the year,
well you're not alone in that apparently 59 of people eat the years first.
Normally there you go what about you i would probably i don't know i'd probably

(04:36):
break off of a piece of, like, punch a hole in the body or something and just
break a piece off. I don't know.
Punch a hole in the easter bunny well like in the side of it you know,
oh my gosh you need to be in anger management yeah well you're biting his ear

(04:57):
off mike tyson or something.
There's something wrong with both of us yeah go
my god
well anyway you know so
it is good to be normal what else you got raise me up a little bit higher well

(05:21):
so what when you were a kid what was the big meal on easter did you do like
you know was anything special for easter i mean you know I'm sure we probably did,
but the only thing I really remember,
you know, tradition-wise, is that we would dye Easter eggs.
So, Mom would, you know, boil how many ever, and, you know, we'd all get those

(05:44):
little, you know, what was that?
The pause kit. Yes, yes. And, you know, it had that little thing,
almost like a bubble blower.
Yeah. And you had to, like, balance your egg. Right, yeah, okay.
Yeah. yeah and you know you could write like
prize egg or you know whatever you're like i

(06:07):
mean you know mine were always ugly
like later they came out with those you know stickers and wraps and glitter
stuff yeah mine were always one color i never got real fancy with them yeah
yeah well you know then one color is good enough because really what does it
matter really so do Do you know what the color,

(06:29):
you know why Easter eggs were colored back in the day?
Let's see. So people could find them? No.
So people couldn't find them and they would like camp them on? No. Okay.
Because, you know, I don't really know. Okay. Okay, so apparently Easter is

(06:53):
a fairly religious holiday.
It isn't just about rabbits and that sort of thing.
So apparently the colors represented the blood of Christ or something along
those lines. Is that what I had read?
Wow. Yeah. Well, you know, I mean, blood is blue, right?

(07:15):
You know, before it gets oxygen.
Yeah. Well, apparently that isn't, you know, that hasn't been theory verified,
but that is one theory, apparently.
About the blood being blue? No, like the color.
Okay, I was like, well, then I'll... The reason for coloring eggs.

(07:35):
Okay. Well, I mean, you know, that's a possibility.
It sounds good enough to me.
I mean, I thought I had some pretty good answers. Did you guys have ham on Easter?
Yeah, my dad, you know, he's a big ham, Ham was a big ham person,

(07:57):
and I just don't really care for it all that much.
You didn't like ham?
We did have ham. And my mom would put the brown sugar and the pineapples. Right, yes.
So that was, and then people would make her made-from-scratch biscuits.

(08:18):
Oh, nice. Yeah. Yeah. With lard, I'm sure, instead of, you know.
Yes, you can. well you know i did not learn
the secret recipe oh you didn't she didn't tell you
that i mean she probably tried to but i had no interest in the biscuit making
so i see well so apparently traditionally it was lamb that was the meal of choice

(08:44):
i can see that you know because Because, unfortunately,
that is the one that gets killed quite often.
Yes. Well, apparently, it became more of a tradition to have ham because...
Hams would be cured over the winter months, and by spring, they would be ready to serve.

(09:10):
So, that's why. Well, I can see them being cured. You know, they're so salty.
That's one reason I don't really like ham all that much. Yes.
I mean, it can be, for sure.
But, you know, I mean, my dad did love it, and a lot of people do.
And that is what many people will have tomorrow for dinner.

(09:33):
Yep, I'm sure. I mean, tonight, you know.
Yeah. Or had earlier, whatever, for their location. Right.
So, apparently the tradition of Easter eggs has a sort of a weird medieval origin.
You mean evil? No, medieval.

(09:56):
Okay. In medieval times. So, apparently,
a priest would give one of the choir boys a hard-boiled egg,
and the boys would pass it around amongst themselves until the clock struck
midnight, and whoever was holding the egg got to eat it.
That was the big tradition back then. Kind of weird.

(10:20):
So, is that like a punishment, or is that a good thing?
I don't know. No, I mean, I guess it was like, you know, it's kind of like musical chairs.
The last person with a seat wins, you know.
But this is like the last person with the egg. You know, and,
you know, getting to eat the egg after it's been passed around a hundred times.

(10:43):
Well, I mean, is that the reward or the punishment if you get stuck with the egg at midnight?
Yeah, I have no idea. I mean, you know, who would want to eat an egg that's
been passed around all day? I know.
Like, that's, yeah. So, you know, I would be, like, not really thinking that was a good thing.

(11:07):
So, it's pretty interesting that that was ever even thought of.
So yeah no no i'll pass on that
one uh yeah pass pass pass because
you don't want to be stuck with it at midnight yeah exactly i know that you
don't really you're not really a fan of like deviled eggs or things like that
anyways so you know that is a big treat um but i have people People have it for Easter, too.

(11:36):
It is not a treat for me.
Yeah. You know, luckily, you just stick with the candy.
Okay, so let's see. So we just had Good Friday, right?
Yes. Did you know that there's only 12 states that recognize Good Friday as

(12:00):
a holiday? Well, I mean, you know, it is a sacred holiday.
So I would think Christians, wherever they may be in whatever states,
would recognize it as, you know, the day that Christ was crucified.
So that's interesting, you know, that it wouldn't be like acknowledged in the

(12:26):
States. I'm sure Kentucky is one that it is acknowledged in.
Let's see. New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and apparently it's not going
to tell me the rest. So, sorry.
Okay. Well, you know, I'll just speak for Kentucky.

(12:48):
Yeah. Yes, that we do recognize that it's Good Friday, you know, so.
So, where do you think the idea of the Easter Bunny delivering candy and eggs originated?
Well, you know, tricks are for kids. Like, that was a bunny, right?
Yeah. So it had to be before that. You got Bugs Bunny.

(13:14):
You know, so I'm going to say it had to do with a cartoon of some kind.
No. So it originated in Germany, probably back in the 16th century.
Okay. No cartoons there. No. No.
And then the Dutch settlers brought it to Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Wow.

(13:39):
So there you have it. Well, to go along with that, do you know that many children,
like clowns, are scared of the Easter Bunny I read?
Yeah, I don't get that. I don't even know if it's true, but,
you know, so I'm not saying that for a fact.

(14:01):
I'm just saying I read that someone posted, you know, like, don't take your
kids to the Easter Bunny because kids are afraid of the Easter Bunny.
So I just remember my son was not the couple of times that I took him.
He wasn't afraid of the Easter Bunny?

(14:23):
No, no, he wasn't. So, or if he was, I didn't know it.
He never shared that with you. Did not.
And he, you know, wasn't, wasn't showing any signs of fear there.
So, um, yeah.
And so I don't know if that's true or not. I mean.

(14:47):
Did you have a bunny? That's a good question. You know, like a lot.
So this is something that a lot of people do.
I don't think it's really a good thing, but they will buy their kids at Easter.
Either a little like a little chick that's, you know, like colored. Oh, yeah.

(15:07):
Died, whatever. And or a little Easter bunny, like a real one. Yeah.
And then, you know, the kid doesn't want it after Easter.
Cause there are a lot of trouble to take care of and they're either going to
like turn them loose or, you know, whatever.
So I'm just thinking, you know, just get a stuffed one or a chocolate one and,

(15:33):
you know, leave the real bunnies alone and all that.
So do you know where peeps are made? Uh, I know you hate them. I do.
Yeah. Yeah, so marshmallows. So where's marshmallow cream made?
Where are marshmallows made? Well, I mean, a lot of stuff's made in Pennsylvania,

(15:55):
so I'm just going to go with that.
Well, that's a good guess because it is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Woo, woo, woo! Which is about probably half an hour, well, not even half an hour from me.
The factory there makes 5.5 million peeps a day.
No doubt because you know they have peeps for everything yeah you know every

(16:18):
holiday every color and yeah yes and and they taste the same no matter which
color which whatever they're all just like,
big marshmallow like yeah do you know when peeps first came out so my mind is telling me.

(16:38):
1956 oh so close really yep but you went over sorry so you didn't win it's uh
1953 actually wow hey i mean that's a pretty good guess there people yeah and
they used to make them with like Like, you know, one of those pastry tubes?

(16:58):
Yes, like you decorate a cake or whatever.
So it would take probably 27 hours to make one peep for some reason.
And now it takes about six minutes. It takes that long to make one?
Yeah, I don't understand why. but

(17:19):
it must have something to do with like uh mixing
the stuff and then you know well i
mean it does have you know like so there's the
inside and then there's that little thin layer colored you know whatever that
has to yeah so coat that so yeah i mean and also you have to put how many ever

(17:42):
go in a pack or you know whatever like they have to be joined together or else
right maybe Maybe they're one big, like, block,
and then they're, like, stamped out.
But, you know. Yeah, I don't know.
I'd hate to be the, like, inspector person or whatever, you know. Yeah.
Make sure all the peeps are, you know, together.

(18:05):
Nope, you don't pass inspection. Excuse me. Yeah.
Especially when you're making five and a half million of them a day.
I would be so sick if I had to eat like...
Many of those so yeah not the job for me but anyways i'm proud of myself for
getting very close to the year yep okay well how many jelly beans do people eat during easter.

(18:32):
Well i know you don't like jelly beans either i mean you know people don't need
to eat more than like a pack of like a small pack i mean because again that's
like those are so sweet jelly bellies I mean, there are certain flavors of those.
I really do like the coffee one and there's popcorn.

(18:55):
You know, but again, I, I mean, I can't eat like a lot of them because they're just too much.
Well, I'm going to, so you mean per person, like one person, how many do they eat?
I'm going to. All right. So probably getting a handful, like let's say 25.

(19:15):
No, I'm, I'm saying total, like. all
all the jelly beans that are consumed
during easter oh my gosh well you
know that's gonna be more like i'll
narrow it down just in the u.s million just in
the u.s two million no the number is 16 million wow yeah it is enough to circle

(19:42):
the globe probe about three times um or to fill a plastic easter egg the size
of a nine-story building.
Let's do that that sounds like fun well you know no wonder we have so much obesity
in the u.s just talking about this is like i know wow so did you know that pretzels

(20:09):
used to be associated with Easter?
No, but I do like pretzels. Why do you think they would be associated with Easter?
Well, they kind of look like.
Well, they're not really shaped like an Easter egg, but... No.
So it goes to Germany, I'm going to say, somehow with Germany.

(20:31):
No. It doesn't say anything about that.
It says that pretzels, like, you know, the big soft pretzel, like, what is it?
Auntie Anne pretzel kind of things.
Mm-hmm. Those resemble arms crossed in prayer.
Aw. Oh, well, now it's going to be really hard for me to eat a pretzel because,

(20:57):
like, I feel like I'm breaking the prayer hands or something,
you know, because I usually, like, break my pretzels in two also.
Yeah, well, I mean, do you eat, do you like the hard pretzels or soft pretzels?
Both, actually. But again, you know, there's salt. I prefer the cinnamon-like,

(21:20):
you know, the sweeter ones.
Oh, so sugar is a lot better.
Which is on the soft ones. Right.
But you can get now the chocolate-covered or the white chocolate-covered ones,
and those are very good of the hard ones.
So of the hard ones, do you like ones that look like the soft pretzels or do

(21:44):
you like the pretzel rods or the nuggets?
Yeah, I like the one that looks, you know, like the praying and whatever.
Okay. Yeah. But, you know, now I'm going to have to switch to the rod ones because,
like I said, when you break them, it's like now that image is going to be in my mind.

(22:06):
So. Right. Well, there you go. See that? I changed your mind.
Yeah. And now, like, all my pretzels that I've got, what will I do with them?
Now I have to give them to someone else and let them be the,
like, bearer of the bad habits. Yeah.
I will. Oh, well. Anyway.

(22:28):
So. Listen to backstory sessions. You know, it's sure to, like,
break one of your dreams.
Dream crushers that we are.
All right. Well, so let's talk about our episode this week.

(22:49):
We have one of your favorite guests back.
Yes, we do. The dreamy one, Rick Cosnett, is with us. And I can't wait to talk with him.
Yeah, it's been, what, two years now? Yeah, too long.
This is our third time having him as a guest. and

(23:09):
um you know he's just always delightful and
full of energy and i don't
know you know the absence it's his hair has grown out some and he's dressed
for easter apparently in one of his promos yeah i mean he looks like he's looking

(23:30):
he is like been in the fountain of youth i mean he He looks like he's getting
younger instead of the other way around.
Yeah, well, you know, he's not, I don't think he's that old, is he?
Well, no, I mean, he's not like, you know, our age old.
But, you know, like, he's looking like he's, you know, like 30, maybe.

(23:54):
Well, there you go. Well, yeah.
It's that color, you know? You put purple on, lilac.
Yeah whatever that i wouldn't ask him about that
color you know what that what he calls it
it could be like lilac lavender not sure
but okay anyways it

(24:15):
looks like the easter color so sure sure
sure yeah all right well i guess let's
talk to rick and you know see what he's
been up to because it hasn't been a while well before
we do talk to him i just have to ask one thing like when
you you were younger you know did you like did
your mom like you know buy you an easter

(24:38):
outfit every year no not that
i not that i can remember maybe when
i was like real young but no so
you don't remember like a bow tie and little you
know like shorts and no i only
remember one picture picture of mine
where i was wearing a bow tie oh and

(25:00):
that was for some yeah i
don't remember what it was for to be honest with you she took me
there to get my pictures taken and i was wearing a white shirt and a bow tie
that is adorable i was only like four or five i guess so yeah i don't really
don't really remember you like recreate that probably not.

(25:27):
The same well at any rate you
know i just thought i would ask that because i know you're not a big fan of
easter outfits like that and i was just curious if you did that when you were
little yeah i mean i just don't like dressing up in general i mean wearing a
suit and tie is like Like, yeah.

(25:49):
And a bow tie. Now you are like, yeah, that's good. Again, it's on those.
So, all right. Well, let's see what Rick got to say in that Australian accent.
All right. Sounds good.
Well, Rick, it has been since 2022 since we have talked to you.

(26:12):
That is two years too long. So welcome.
Thank you. Yeah, I can't believe that it's been that long. I mean,
time really does fly. It's scary.
It does fly. And, you know, there have been so many things like I see all the
time. You know, of course, I'm a big fan.
So I'm always like looking at stuff and I was like, you know,

(26:36):
there's a lot to talk about in this almost two year span.
Fan so yeah well the
first thing i want to say because matt and i had this conversation like so the
suit that i'm calling it lilac or lavender you know matt could have at least
said he would look like a great but it's a bachelor so what is this color um.

(27:02):
It's just the color. It's the only color. That's what I'm calling it.
And it's all thanks to Elena, who is now my new stylist, I suppose,
and the costume designer on 9-1-1, funnily enough.
Man, those girls are incredible. And actually, we were going to go with this peacock suit.

(27:25):
It was peacock, just all peacock shirt, you know, suit, suit,
which was really like, bam, and then the next thing I tried on was this one.
It was just like, oh no, this is definitely it.
Finally, I had no idea that those colors would be, like the carpet would be powder pink.
We needed an Easter basket and that would have been done.

(27:49):
But I felt like it was giving David Bowie, it was giving I didn't even think
about it really to be honest until afterwards.
Well i think it was an incredible color for
you so i'm gonna say that was great thank
you no i loved it and it was it was kind of amazing

(28:09):
my my character on palm royale which is
out now on apple tv everyone must watch it it is
quite incredible i'm just in love with it but the
producers came up to me just before
we sat down at the premiere and they were like oh my
god we saw you on the the red carpet we were like sergeant sanka
gotta glow up honey because i my character as you will see next week is is is

(28:39):
disgruntled sort of beaten down sunburnt he was in the korean war,
he's giving a lot of mask.
Well i have a story to tell you about that so you know i love that i've said
i love that color on you i thought you look great and so i was telling my friend

(29:05):
and her daughter was going to the prom,
or you know like one of the little things that they have i don't know if it's
prom spring fling, whatever it may be.
And he had a dress on that very day.
A very similar color so i'm like see you know it's a sign that that is the color

(29:31):
it's the color of 2024 yeah i don't know what i'm talking about you were famous
for this year i love it and so was she.
And i yeah it was just like crazy it was
amazing designer y shang paris and
and the shoes were were alexander mcqueen and i

(29:53):
got to keep them so i'm very happy about that nice
yeah well you need
to spruce up you know yeah you got to shake it up
you need a new look you know
take a leaf out of madonna's book there you go so
you let the hair grow out too yeah i have i also felt like you know i needed

(30:15):
new material new characters and on 9-1-1 it's the hair is really giving it's
like a another character on the show and I can't wait for tonight.
It's on and next week the second and third episodes of the cruise ship sinking
are on and it's just so fun with Angela Bassett and yeah.

(30:40):
Well, let's go back to the last time I remember that we talked with you.
We talked about Eddie and and The Flash, and, you know, dying, and different things.
But now, like, The Flash is really over, right?
Yeah, so since we spoke, yeah, Eddie turned into a supervillain.

(31:05):
He became a superhero, Cobalt Blue, because underneath everything,
he was such a good person, really, that he is now holding.
I guess, the space between good and evil and keeping evil at bay to a certain extent.
So he's sort of in between, in limbo, just sacrificing himself for the rest of time.

(31:31):
As is his thing, he's a very, very good person.
But yeah, jealousy got the better of him. And finally, which I was really hoping for.
So it was amazing. It was amazing. It was very full circle to go back and finish
The Flash after eight seasons of the roller coaster that it was.

(31:53):
And it was very healing, to be honest.
I was able to let everything go very nicely and feel very satisfied by the end
of it because I really put my heart and soul into those last four episodes.
And it was all about me, which which really also was very healing for my ego.

(32:16):
Were you surprised by.
By the the twist i guess not really
like i was very delighted by it and
i had sort of been steering it in that direction and so
i was really happy with what they wrote i thought it was really cool and yeah

(32:41):
i think i it was it was very cool because i had come a long way personally i
think and so I was able to also put that into my work,
and yeah Eddie was you know he'd been in this limbo for so long that he was
able to be he had to be a little bit different but still maintain those you

(33:07):
know the throwbacks to who he was and he was you know buried for,
in the grave for so long so he got to be a bit grotesque coming out of it and
scared and things we hadn't really seen from him before which was really cool,
so what was it like to see the whole series

(33:27):
come to an end it was mixed feelings i guess you know sad but it had been sad
for so long for me because because i died so early on it was so tragic not only
in the story but also for me just as an actor.
And so I would have wanted to stay on for the entire thing and thought I was.

(33:52):
So it coming to an end was sort of like, I don't know.
I mean, I would have loved it to go on and on and on because I also felt so
happy genuinely for the people who are still on there, a lot of them are some of my very good friends.
And so I loved that it was going on and on. and it was so successful.

(34:17):
And that also was in turn helping me because I was doing so many Comic-Cons.
And so, yeah, it was sad to end, but I think it had to at some point.
And yeah, it was just kind of absolutely motherfucking crazy.
The whole thing from beginning to end, crazy.

(34:42):
Oh, what did the fans, so, you know, with Comic-Con, I'm sure you got to hear
a lot of feedback. So what were they saying?
Well, I mean, it was hard because in the beginning, they were all also the writer
at the time didn't really know what they were doing with my character.

(35:02):
So at first I was signed on to be the original Flash Jay Garrick.
It was in my contract. And then just before we started shooting,
he was like, oh, no, we actually we tell you you're actually not going to be
Jay Garrick. you are going to be the reverse flash or something.
I was like, oh my God, okay.
Then just before we started filming Episode 2, it was like, actually,

(35:25):
as I was about to take a bite of steak at a dinner, where you're actually not the reverse flash,
you're now his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
I mean, it doesn't sound as cool, but I'm here for collaboration.

(35:49):
And I'm a bit of a pushover. So at the time, especially, I was a young actor.
I was just like, great. Whatever you guys want to do, it's fine.
But yeah, so it was a bit of a roller coaster because then everyone was like,
Like, then I couldn't tell people that I was going to die.
So then we were doing like all this press for TCA's and we were all really sad,

(36:10):
but we had to pretend that we were like, everything was fine.
And they're like, can you tell us anything? I was like, no, I can't tell you
anything. That's going to be cool.
And yeah. And then people would always ask me like, you're going to be,
I bet you're going to be Zoom.
I bet you're going to be this. I bet you're going to be that.
It was kind of disappointing because I knew that I wasn't.

(36:33):
So you know my character was sort of just left which is why it was so great that finally,
you know he got to bookend the whole thing and come back but by that stage the
storylines had really got crazy because they'd been had so so much success they
had had to do so many episodes,

(36:54):
and yeah i mean i thought it was i thought it
was fabulous but you know i wasn't watching the whole way
through because it was too sad for me to
watch yeah are you
a person that it's hard to keep a secret like
that would be so hard for me to not tell no
i'm actually i'm i'm the

(37:16):
opposite like i i will take i'm
very easily take things to the grave and i
don't often yeah tell very many
many people and i've realized that people are
not very good at keeping secrets because i have
told some some very close friend secrets recently and we've i've been there

(37:41):
when they have just divulged it to someone like i'm just like ah shocked shocked,
you know you can tell us secrets we will not.
We'll edit them out no that's it I'm burnt I'm burnt sorry,

(38:03):
no but like at Christmas or whatever you
know like I can't wait when I give someone a
present like I just want them to open it because oh
my god that's amazing you're like surprise Sue do
you know Kristen Wiig's character surprise Sue on SNL which
you just can't keep a secret and they have all these different scenarios where

(38:23):
there's the one where they're like okay we're getting engaged woohoo and they're
like sue aunt sue like please don't say anything because you know the parents
are coming like in five minutes and like we don't want to you know and she's like,
catchphrases oh my god.
We're gonna come in here and they're not gonna know she can't do it and she's

(38:47):
but she's trying so she tries to knock herself out,
ornaments and then she walks through the window like the window pane like smashers and,
anyway christine is one of my
favorite favorite people one of my favorite actors comedians and i've watched

(39:09):
so many videos of her and so to be with her in palm royale is really just beyond
a dream come true because i never even something i never even dreamed of,
you know just to have a small part with her and with all these other actors
was just so special and she was so nice so lovely so funny she really exceeded

(39:35):
all my expectations on a on a working,
level in between takes and everything so that was also really life-affirming
you know cool Well, we almost got to interview you for Shoulder Dance.
Then you were gone, I think, to maybe Australia? Australia, probably.

(39:56):
Yes, I think so. But Shoulder Dance, tell us about that, because that looks like a beautiful film.
Yeah, it really, really is. And that I filmed just after I spoke to you last, I think.
And it was just incredible for me personally in my craft. It just felt like

(40:18):
something magical happened that I'd been trying to make happen for a very long time.
Now, having been out of drama school for, God, almost 20 years.
And, you know, it was just the chemistry was amazing.
The writing was really good. And I just went into it every morning with everything

(40:43):
I had and did all these exercises to get there because for me,
it was a bit of a challenge.
I was playing this very confident, very sexually driven, wild,
crazy, straight guy who is so comfortable with his sexuality that he might swing

(41:04):
to the other team, maybe just 1%, you know?
If they're there sort of thing, I sort of felt like he had Jason Momoa energy,
which is some of the best kind of energy I think a human can have.
Having met him a couple of times, done Comic-Cons with him, he's just the most

(41:24):
generous, free in his body and his skin, powerful,
you know, very, I don't know how to explain it, but everything seems to be delicious and sexual.
Because he's just so divine but he
just really like laps life up and has this incredible sparkle in his eye so

(41:47):
i was really going for that with my character of roger and i also got to use
my natural accent whatever the fuck that is it's kind of dorit for the real
housewives of beverly hills.
But it's you know that was very freeing for me too and also i know people like
this but but also because really i really related to it because it's these two friends,

(42:13):
who were very close in their
teenage years and then roger left
when he was 16 the usa to go
to england and so he's got this very sort of international thing happening but
also i left zimbabwe when i was 16 and i have all these incredible memories

(42:33):
of being a teenager a wild teenager you know at first it was just substitution
work that i was doing and then,
the other actors were so spectacular that it just you know it became very real
very quickly because all of
us were doing great work and our imaginations were kind of going crazy. So.

(42:55):
All became very close very quickly so yeah i
mean people always ask us did you know each other before
and they can't believe that we didn't at all because
yeah it's such a vibe the film is such a vibe and it's super super fun it's
like so much fun and and me and and maggie gayhar who is in gotham a lot of

(43:17):
she and other stuff too but you know she's my girlfriend and we're just we're
We're almost like the villains in Annie.
We just come in and fuck shit up and we bring the drugs and it's in the Hamptons
and things get wild and it's all about,
you know, all these questions I think that are very topical like monogamy and what does it mean to,

(43:40):
you know, and what people need in their relationship to
move on and what are they scared of and
scared of commitment and love and
what holds us back and and why you
know we're scared of that and then all that
cool stuff so yeah it was fun it
was so fun um did you learn

(44:02):
anything like you know and monogamy and love and like did you learn anything
that changed your mind from being in in the movie like that's a very very good
question um personally well not really.

(44:22):
I have my views you know
i have my my from my own growing up in my own repression the cult okay the cult
is strong the cult of like you know a mother a father and kids kids,

(44:43):
married and monogamous is very strong.
And I feel like for me, it's, you know, yeah, it's a cult, but it's a cult for a reason.
It does work. But if you are different or anything outside of that,
you know, obviously it's got better now, but it used to be that you were shunned

(45:05):
from society, you know, having a child out of wedlock, being a single parent, even being,
not that attracted to the same, the opposite sex and all that sort of stuff,
which is like natural, unfortunately.
Well, I mean, fortunately natural, but unfortunately society isn't natural.
So, yeah, very interesting. But I guess it might have, no, I was already doing that before.

(45:31):
I was reading all these books about it. But at the end of the day,
it was very interesting in terms of just the Mino-y part of things.
Yes, it did bring up all these questions. I don't know if it changed my mind though.
Because I'm still going through all sorts of personal journeys.
Well, at least you're fine about it.
But it did, yeah, it did. You know, I think what it did do for me was it looks

(45:59):
at love, and you just have to really go for it with love.
You know, it's worth it, even though it is terrifying to be vulnerable like that.
And also, if I'm truly honest,
yes, it did open my mind up in terms of being mature enough to know that it's

(46:22):
okay for you to be over here, your partner to be somewhere else,
and for you to want the best for your partner and yourself in that relationship.
And that sometimes maybe not being so jealous,
you know, that that part is not healthy, that if you just really let it go and

(46:43):
it's more, you become more magnetic, you and your partner, if you just really relax.
Yeah. Which is hard for me to do. Not Roger. Wow.
So after, so how did you get this role with 911?
I don't know. I was like, I had like two or three auditions that day.

(47:07):
I just did a tape. I was in Sydney.
I just made me think of the White Lotus because my character,
his name is Cruise Director Julian.
Cruise Director Julian Innes. And I just thought of Murray Bartlett in White
Lotus, you know, the hotel manager in season one.
I was like, yes, great. No, we'd be so happy, so happy to help you out.

(47:29):
But underneath, he's a complete mess doing coke, you know. in the office and Australian.
And so, you know, I had the bleached hair.
I had the below decks look.
So I was like, okay, I know this. I've got this. So I just also did kind of
my natural accent because, you know, it makes sense in international cruise director.

(47:50):
And I think it just sat really well on me, like, especially with the hair.
Like, I feel like he's got a shopping channel vibe.
I mean, he's got a bit of a like fake tan thing happening. He's a bit prissy.
He's a bit bisexual, you know, or just not even bisexual, like just those kind
of straight guys who are quite feminine.

(48:13):
So it was really like.
Hindsight i just didn't think about it which is
so wonderful but creativity is a funny thing i
think in the past sometimes i stifle i've stifled
my all the colors that i could
play because i'm thinking oh no this character is supposed
to be like this or supposed to be like that instead of just uncovering

(48:34):
what you have and then it just works and
i was also scared because i filmed it and then i thought
oh god that's probably absolutely awful and
i think this is me done and then i saw
adr actually the afternoon of
the premiere for palm royale i was doing adr funnily
enough right where we filmed palm royale at paramount it was

(48:55):
quite a little momentous day for me personally because i
just saw like me and angela bassett like just doing like sinking with a lot
of water and just water rushing and everything and and it really works because
because my character is so pathetic and she is so strong, you know, that it needed that.

(49:17):
And I was just so happy that I went with my instinct on it because it really
works. And I'm very happy with my work.
My sister FaceTimed me as I was out there and she's like, I can't believe you're
there and you're filmed.
And then you're there for, you know, with, with the, with the kind of,
I guess, actors that I've always wanted to work with. So, yeah.

(49:38):
It was super fun, but yeah, that's sort of how cruise director Julian started.
And then it was just, yeah, it was just so fun to be there to support Angela,
you know, and Peter Krause doing, just being amazing and be one of the people on the ship.

(49:59):
But yeah, it's, I spent a lot of time with Angela and Peter and the rest of
the crew. It was like pretty much almost two and a half months because what
they do in this over these three episodes is insane. We had a tank.
It was like bigger than Ben Hur. I mean, they built this like a million dollar company.

(50:21):
I remember what they call it. Similar to like a spindle, but it's so that the
cruise ship could go completely upside down. So they built the set so that the
set could rotate 360 degrees and people hanging on.
I mean, it's based on the Poseidon Adventure.
We're doing all these stunts. And I mean, it's just crazy stuff.

(50:44):
And the last day I was terrified.
Like, I won't say, but, you know, the height that I was at and things I had
to do in the cold water and swimming.
And then I couldn't hear anything, and I couldn't understand the director's
accent, and he's saying, what?
And they're all shouting it. And I'm like, oh, crawl.

(51:08):
I'm hearing crawl, crawl. Oh, my God.
It's so funny. Do you like doing your own stunts? Or would you prefer a stunt awful?
Well, I like to give other people a chance.

(51:29):
It's very selfless of me.
You know what? At first, I'm always like, oh, my God. What am I doing?
But I really get into it. And then I'm like, I'm like, you can't stop me.
Like on the flash, you know, I was like, okay, fuck.

(51:51):
I've got all this fighting. And like, you know, I was really like,
and then we're doing the rehearsal with the entire crew, the director,
Grant, Dustin, and the stunt, you know, my stunt double's doing the thing.
And I just out of nowhere, like it just came out of me.
I'm like, like, there's a punch there. Sorry. There's no, there's a punch in there.

(52:12):
And like grant's like right like like totally
not my area but i'm like now correcting the stunt people and the stunt coordinator
all of a sudden like i'm the expert how do i got so into it and then i was like
let's do it again like i'm so into these punches and you know so it's in me.

(52:37):
And then of course as well i was terrified when we went up and i'm like i want
to do it again i can do it again you guys i can do this i could do that yeah
i get so excited but god you know you gotta really i mean i have to rip myself over the line yeah,
yeah well i mean i guess you could end up getting seriously hurt and that wouldn't

(52:57):
be good for your career so well i think that's also the thing as i get older
i'm sort of like yeah maybe not that like for me because you realize that you are breakable yes,
But, you know, it was very safe on 9-1-1. It's Disney, so they had a lot of safety stuff.

(53:18):
But it was still like, you know, I had a cord connected, but then it was like,
it's all very quick and something can happen.
And I was like, I'm going to swing into this.
My imagination's very overactive. Weren't you doing some sort of web show? The Baku Daily.
That's right. That's right. Are you still doing that? Or has that ended?

(53:41):
It or yes we're still developing that but we
have come leaps and bounds because i was in australia
doing that for a couple months end of last year so we're
still very excited about that and it's going to be a huge thing
it's going to be a huge hit okay awesome it's really
cool it's really fun but yeah it's i mean i'm

(54:02):
telling you like coming up with genius like a genius script is really really
hard but it's happening but yeah we're lucky that we've sort of had this crazy
workshop i mean we've developed these characters over so many years now,
so it's gonna hit us i think when the

(54:23):
time is right but you know we've written probably over like i don't know 60
tiny little instagram sketches right which has been super helpful and good practice
workshopping for us in terms of just having to cut out the fat,
having to, you know, land the little jokes and who these women are and how they

(54:46):
sort of come across in that medium. Right.
So, yeah. Yeah, it's fun. It's fun. People love Jill and Sue. We love Jill and Sue.
And we've got merchandise now as well, which is going crazy.
So, yeah, it's all on the Instagram at the Walkthroughs Daily, Jill and Sue.
So, yeah, you're going to do more of that and in the future or, I mean, I guess.

(55:11):
Yeah, we are developing the TV show. Oh, yeah. Which we, which has always been our goal since day one.
So, it's just, yeah, it's taken us like 15 years.
Because, you know, it was, it was, we always sort of had it in our minds.
At first, it was kind of just a fun joke. and then we used to do christmas parties

(55:33):
and we hosted our friend's wedding as them,
and i was always i we nearly filmed a little pilot slash teaser just in 2010 before i left,
australia and then you know i was busy over here but yeah it's been in the works for a while so,
we're getting there slowly oh cool well we'll be looking forward to hearing

(55:58):
more about that when the time comes yeah shame hey it's very um it's also very
australian south african english,
kind of it's it's going to be an australian production but hopefully we'll be
able to then sell the rights for the us version you know how they do that yeah
and they usually it up yeah except if it's like the office or shameless they

(56:21):
really did a great job with those yeah But this is quite niche, so we'll see.
So we're trying to figure out, Rick, you know, in our international audience,
we are number three in Ghana.
So we've been trying to figure out, like, I wonder why that is, you know?

(56:43):
Wait, your podcast is number three in Ghana? Well, Ghana is...
Out of all the podcasts? No.
What's that? Yeah. That's incredible, you guys.
You have no idea why? No.
Oh my God. That's crazy. That's so cool.

(57:06):
I met an incredible actress here from Ghana on my first job. They got me my SAG card.
That's amazing. Well, no idea why, how it happened or whatever, but you know.
When did this happen? It was just like, you know, sent them our way or something.

(57:28):
Yeah, it's definitely the African thing. You know how we got there.
I mean, I wish I did.
That is so cool. You know, Zimbabwe is definitely closer than the U.S. to Ghana. Yeah.
But still kind of far. But, yeah, that's crazy.

(57:51):
Yeah, they're like a distant, I mean, Canada is even like a distant number four, which is weird.
That's amazing. I love that. You know, like.
What's that? We're doing something right. You've almost made it. Oh, 100%. 100%.
Yeah. I would love to think it was me, but.

(58:13):
You know, what is next? Like, what things do you have going on that you can tell us about?
Like for the future? Well, my fingers are crossed for another season of Palm Royale.
So we will know that very soon.
And then Jill and Sue is going gung-ho at the moment.

(58:36):
So that's what I'm working on right now. Yeah. Awesome.
Yeah. Is there anything that you want to do still?
Like, I mean, you've played a wide variety of characters in the last few years.
I have i would love to play richard the lionheart you know something very strong very,

(58:58):
gritty and just complete like
animal brave and all
that good stuff i feel like i still haven't really done that
you know i've done eddie and roger who have that
sort of vibe but i would really like to
lean into that more you know something
military a lot of cops but like

(59:20):
never like a marine or something so
that would be cool david bowie i
i want to play him 100 and i
also want to play like a zimbabwean farmer or do
something in africa those are
probably top of my list right now yeah well

(59:41):
are you still writing like outside i
know you were writing a play are you still
like working on have you
been on stage during plays yeah I haven't written a play actually but I was
doing a play and you work last year which was really really great and that was

(01:00:03):
such a wonderful experience with yeah such beautiful actors.
And yeah, that was great. That was really cool to be back on stage.
Does it just feel magical, like in a different way to be on stage versus TV?
Yeah, it does. It does.
It's what I, you know, that's how I trained, I suppose, how most people do,

(01:00:28):
because it's more accessible at, you know, university and just wherever.
You know, I was out in the middle of Toowoomba. I used to do plays there at
the repertory theater at high school.
And then I went to drama school. And then Sydney, you know, a lot of plays.
And I've done probably about six or seven plays here in the U.S.

(01:00:49):
But, yeah, I find myself very much at home there. It's always what I've loved to do.
My parents used to do theater when we were very little, just community theater.
And I fell in love with it there.
So it's the same thing. It's the same art form to me. Of course,
there are differences and little craft things that you have to tweak.

(01:01:12):
It's, you know, especially voice-wise and performance-wise, it was really good
because this theater in particular, and because they had a projector,
there was this kind of underlying noise.
And the acoustics were not amazing because they usually have shows in there.
Actually, Carol Channing's been on that stage and Jane Fondren, you know.

(01:01:34):
But just in terms of doing
like more like concerts so we weren't
miked or anything so you know we really had to
shout our very intimate lines in a way which you have to do on broad a lot of
broadway in a lot of broadway theaters as well so that was very cool to sort
of go back to that but to be honest it was it was one of the most projected

(01:01:58):
that i've had to be so that was cool figuring that out, you know?
Yeah. So I just had one more question for you before we let you go,
because we are coming up on your time, but, uh.
I think you told us a story about how you were, you wanted to meet someone and

(01:02:19):
when the time came to meet them, you weren't able to talk to them.
Was that, does that sound familiar?
I think it was an actress that you wanted to meet.
Was this not last time we talked or? It was like the first time we talked, I think.
Oh yeah. That was Tony Collette. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. yeah so has there

(01:02:41):
been any has there been any there has
not i think you know i've i've come to the conclusion that
i should just let the queen i should just let her live and i don't think she
needs that kind of energy in her life so i you know i've retired the idea that

(01:03:03):
we're we're going to be best friends because that's just not how it works.
So, so do you, I will always be once a fan, I think. Yeah. Always a fan.
And it's, it's a beautiful thing. And I'm just going to stay in my lane and
just always support her till, till the very end, you know?

(01:03:26):
And if I need her, great. Hopefully I'll be able to, you know, it'll just be more like,
moment little moment yes maybe but yeah so
i mean have i moved out of my stalk era probably maybe
this is it do you find the line do you
find what's that do you find that it's easier to talk to
people now like you know more famous people like

(01:03:48):
you've met you know no i don't really
at all i find it fine if
i if i don't if i'm not if
i don't really completely admire them as an
an actor but if i
do then my heart rate increases like way too high yeah and i can't really be

(01:04:10):
myself which i have noticed on palm royale because thank god i was fine between
action and cut i was so relaxed and then all the rest of the time i'm just like
i'm at 100 don't say anything,
just be quiet rick and go home you had a great day.

(01:04:32):
All right cat go ahead
one more oh my gosh well i
i guess it's just like what
can you tell me rick like that you haven't told me like tell me something you
know like off the wall crazy easy wow yeah anybody that you're stalking you

(01:04:57):
know like since that or anything,
well i mean alice and janny i've always been completely obsessed with and i
i think i need to stay away from her,
Because our storylines overlapped a little bit in Palm Royale, but hardly at all.

(01:05:22):
But there was one of my favorite days where I just had this little line at the
end of the scene sort of thing where I just drive in and get out of the car.
Up and her and josh lucas were behind the camera on
my coverage at the very end and and allison
was just being the most animated fabulous and

(01:05:43):
like pointing to josh saying it was him and it was just so wonderful they were
both doing it the most behind the camera for my coverage which i just thought
was so generous so fun she still has no idea who i am and maybe Maybe that's
for the best. She probably does.
But yeah. I mean, she's just such a great actress. I just, I admire her so much.

(01:06:07):
Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern.
It's been an absolute pleasure to just be in the same space as these women, these legends.
Well, that's just the way it is to talk to you every time that you're our guest.
It's just an amazing experience.
No matter what kind of day it's been leading up to it or whatever goes on as

(01:06:29):
craziness it's just always you
just have an energy about you that always makes you a favorite Oh my god,
thank you so much for saying that Yeah,
who knows, next time we talk hopefully something else very interesting and spectacular
will happen You can't go through life without it.

(01:06:56):
Well, hopefully, hopefully it won't be two years and you'll come back and see us again.
Yeah, I would love that. I would love that. You guys, thank you so much for having me as always.
You just keep bringing the color to the year.
Thank you. I will continue down that track as my hair continues to get more and more ridiculous.

(01:07:19):
We look forward to seeing those pictures. Amazing.
All right. Thank you so much. Okay. Thanks guys. Cheers. Take care. Bye. Bye.
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