January 30, 2025 • 38 mins
It’s hard to find anybody that has as much personality or is as entertaining as is my guest today, the incredibly talented multi-faceted Isaac Mizrahi, who will be taking center stage again at Cafe Carlyle starting next week.
EPISODE NOTES: The World According to Isaac!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rappaport-to-the-rescue-on-pet-life-radio-petliferadio-com--6667849/support.
EPISODE NOTES: The World According to Isaac!
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rappaport-to-the-rescue-on-pet-life-radio-petliferadio-com--6667849/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk Pets.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Wrap Aport to the Rescue with award winning animal advocate,
best selling author, journalist and pet products creator Jill Rapoport.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Welcome to Rapaport to the Rescue.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
I'm Jill Rappaport. I have the.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Most entertaining, exciting guests today, and before I tell you
who that is, I just want to give you a
quick update on this amazing campaign that I'm doing for
my second year at Southampton Animal Shelter. I always feature
the underdogs, the seniors, the pits, the special needs. I
take the hardest to adopt their lifers, the ones that
usually never get out and are left languishing all around
(00:47):
our country, and I highlight them by doing heartfelt videos
showing how wonderful these animals are. All they want is
a second chance for a new life. Will This campaign
is going so great. More than half of my underdogs
have been adopted and or in foster. I'm further ahead
with this campaign two months in that I was ten
(01:09):
months in last year, so I'm so thrilled. Thank you
so much for your support. Please go to Southampton Animal
Sheltered look at the website. You can follow me on
social media. You can see the videos. I post them
every three days. These are amazing animals and please do
your part to make a difference for them. Again, my
campaign is called a Home for the Holidays and after
(01:31):
and please get on board to make a difference today.
All right, folks, coming up. My guest today puts the
F in fun and the een exuberant. He is one
of the most famous designers in the world, Isaac Mizrahi.
And what hasn't Isaac done? Besides being one of America's
premier and beloved designers, He's also an actor, a singer,
(01:53):
TV presenter, and his career continues to soar with his
Isaac Mizrahi brand for Excel Brands. All seeing him on QBC.
He's been on Broadway, He's been a Project Runway All
Stars judge, also a hilarious judge on RuPaul's Drag Race,
and returning this week, Isaac is back at the Cafe
Carlisle for an exclusive winter engagement, debuting his new show
(02:17):
called I Know Everybody. But with all of his projects
and passions, it's his pooches that tug at his heartstrings
the most. Isaac is such a wonderful voice for the
voiceless and thank Goodness for his love and support. So
when we come back, Isaac Mizrahi will be joining us.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Get ready, folks, and.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I guarantee it will be a conversation to remember and
one that you do not want to miss.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
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(03:11):
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Speaker 1 (03:23):
We wear fur and we're damn proud of it. What
hands our four legs and our tail and we go
to the bathroom outside, Well, we may not be too
proud of that. Let's sniff around, benmark your spot right here.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Pet Life Radio, Let's talk Pats, Let's talk Pats. Let's
done pets Headline Radio, pet light Radio dot com.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Hi, Welcome back to Rappaports to the Rescue, where you
heard my intro, And folks, if you're in your cars,
you might want to pull over because this guy is
so much fun and so entertaining. You might find it
hard to drive while you're listening to him, because you're
going to be laughing so hard.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Isaac.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I am so thrilled to have you back on. Would
you believe it's been almost five years since you were
on the show?
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Could you believe it's been five years? Wow?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I mean unbelievable. What took you so long to come
back onling?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
I don't know. I have no other life than actually,
no speaking of, I really don't have another life when
it actually it's all about my dogs. So we could
just do a podcast every single day and I would
have more and more and more to talk about.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Oh you got it. In fact, i'd love you to
be my regular Are you kidding? My co host on
this podcast?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Kay? All right, well we'll talk all about your dogs.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
And you heard in the intro. You know you have
a laundry list of all your incredible career, amazing achievements.
But I know it's the dogs that you care so
deeply about.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
It really is. And you know people always say to me,
oh what do you do in your spare time? Where
do you like to travel? And you know, blah blah blah.
And I always say to myself, you know, like I
don't even like to travel. I mean it, I travel
when I have to for work, but when I have nothing, Darling,
it's all about being here in my house with my dogs.
And I have to say, you know, we recently got it, well,
(05:21):
about two and a half years ago, we got a
new dog. We got a new child, I should say, Georgie,
who we adopted in August of twenty twenty. Oh, I
don't even remember. It's three years ago, so whatever that is.
How many do you have now? Now we have two? Okay,
Dean left the earth. Dean left the Earth about three
(05:41):
years ago, and like two months later we got Georgie.
And what we discovered very early on about Georgie, aside
from the fact that he is absolutely the most charming, funny,
adorable creature, is that he doesn't like to drive in cars.
He gets really ill, you know, totally. You could see
he starts to drool and he's trying to hold it
back to then finally he barfs no matter what, even
(06:02):
fifteen minutes in the car now we learned that driving
him from where we rescued him mid Island to bridge Hampton.
We learned that immediately about George, and we thought maybe
and he was a puppy, he was three months old.
We thought, oh, he'll grow out of it'll grow and
he never grew out of it. Like you know, I
don't know what to do about it. I'd like to this.
He just lives here, and you know, there always has
(06:22):
to be someone here, whether it's myself or my husband.
My husband and myself rarely are together anymore in the city,
which is an hilarious development. I must Isn't that just crazy?
That is so funny.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
And I'm fostering a dog now, who I'm of course
going to adopt, because there's no such thing as a
foster that I ever give back. I'm a true foster fail.
But you can hear her barking in the background. It's
Winnie the Pooper, we call her, and she is so hysterical.
You know, we have all these breeds of doodles. You
have the lab a Doodle, the Golden Doodle. I call
(06:55):
her my own separate breed, a whack a doodle.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Oh that's she is. Yeah, how many you.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
You know, the last time we spoke, it's so sad.
I always had a six pack, and now I've lost
so many dogs since I've spoken to you. We just
lost one, my Oscar Meyer, in September. I'm down to three,
and it really feels lonely, like what only three rescues
in the house?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Darling stick around. We can totally remedy that situation in
a minute.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
But I want to talk about what you and your
wonderful husband, Arnold. I mean, you are such great voices.
As I said in the intro for the Voiceless, I
know you do so much with the ASPCA. You were
honored by our You really are just the most wonderful
ambassador for these underdogs.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You know, I have this feeling we're just average. You know.
It's because of like I don't know. I think it's
because of my position in the world. And I'm so
happy that I can help in any way to make
this cause visible, you know. I mean, that's one reason
I'm really happy to be well known in the world.
You know. But as far as I'm concerned, we're very average,
(08:02):
except the fact, as I told you, that we will
live our lives in service to these dogs. And for me,
that's not even that's not like I can't do enough.
We're literally we're in this house. We're on about an acre,
literally one acre, And I say to myself, is it
big enough for the dogs? Like? Do they have enough?
Is it a little boring? The same acre? Maybe we
(08:22):
should get a bigger place so they have more room
to run around, they have more adventures, more trees to peon.
I don't know what you know. So it's like we
actually consider things like moving in order to accommodate our
dogs boredom. You know, it's like, oh, are the dogs
really bored? Because when you take this incredible care about something,
then you think, oh no, now I'm sheltering it. Now
that no adventures. Now they're bored now they don't see
(08:44):
any other dogs, Like, oh.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
This is what occupies your mind. And I know how
much you love Arnold. I mean, obviously I've been a
partner for so many years and your beloved husband, But
I have a feeling, Isaac. We talked about this during
COVID because we were alone, but we were never alone
because we had our animals. And you said they're your
best soulmates, all.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Right, are absolutely, absolutely and you know, like I have
to tell you this, this is a crazy thing. I
may have mentioned this to you before on this show,
but I think the reason that Arnold and I adore
each other so much is because we each know that
if we had to choose two things to leave with,
if you know, if we had we had to evacuate,
(09:25):
he wouldn't be one of the two things. It would
be Georgie and Kitty. You know, these would be the
two people that would come with me, you know. And
I think I know that he would leave me. And honestly,
like I'm not kidding you. We were in this car
crash once a long, long, long time ago when I
first got my first rescue dog named Harry. So this
would be like in like two thousand, like twenty five
(09:45):
years ago, twenty two, right, and I was in a
terrible I was kind of pinned in the car and
my hips were my hips were all shattered. I didn't
know it at the time, of course, I was just
freaking out. The car was a mess. They had to
trash the car, that had to cut me out with
those jaws of life. And Harry was in the back seat,
and Arnold was fine. He like walked away, and they
(10:06):
were going to take him to the to the hospital
to check him out, to give him some X rays
and see if he was okay. I said, you get
that dog home, Get the dog home, Get the dog.
And of course he got the dog. No, he took
the dog home first. You know, hadn't been him getting
the medical treatment. By the way, they took the dog
to the vet first, just to have him checked out,
and then they took the dog and then they took
(10:29):
Arnold home. And then I was in the hospital. So,
I mean, it was crazy, but I was in the
hospital and I was having my cat scans and my
MRIs or whatever it was, and I was on the
phone the minute he said like the dog was home.
I was like, Okay, that's it. I'm fine. I'm fine,
you know, that's all I could think about. Now give
me the painkillers. I'm fine. Now give me the puller. Yeah. Well,
(10:49):
that's what I love about you.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
We've talked about this for years, and I've interviewed you
so often over the years. It's my dream one day
to work with you. We'd got to do some sort
of an animal show together, Isaac, come on, or at
least a product lineitch it because you know, to me,
the best thing in the world, in addition to our
rescue animals, is laughter. So you are my dream man.
(11:12):
You make me laugh and you love the rescue animals
more than anything.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
So I adore you, well, I addore you. I'm same thing,
same thing. We have this mutual adoration I must say,
I must say, and your career.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I look at everything you've done, and like I said,
the laundry list of things, and now we all get
to see you on QBC. You've been a part of
Excel with this line of yours, which is so amazing
and what I am so intrigued by because you cater
to everybody. You can get a super small size, but
really Middle America, which isn't always extra small, and I
(11:45):
want to get into that because that's why. And I
feel like the appeal of your you and your success
is that you embrace all types of beautiful women, whatever
size they are, You love them. And you know, just
watching these award shows, now are we going back to
the super skinny look? I noticed a definite trend to me, the.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
People who look the best are the ones who don't
acknowledge that, you know. I noticed the really young, gorgeous
ones are not like the actual movers and shakers. I
don't know who, you know, Cat Cohen for instance, or something.
I'm just trying to think of, like the ones who
I find really fascinating looking, you know, Like I went
(12:27):
to see this incredible, incredible musical called Death Becomes Her,
you know, and they're all gorgeous.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
You know.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Michelle Williams is gorgeous, right, she really thin and she
looks incredible in dresses. But then you have Megan Hilty
who's not a four, she's not a two. She's probably
like an eight or at ten, so she's just a
normal size and she looks really really great, and they
don't try to cut things that make her look more
svelt or do any illusions. It's she just wears whatever
(12:58):
clothes that she needs to wear for that role, you know.
And I just found it so incredibly inspiring that you
know that we've graduated in fashion. I think we've graduated
from either showing like skinny skinny skinny girls are obese girls.
Now I think there are some women who are actually
like twelves and they look really good, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Is that what you try to do with your line
because I like you embrace everybody.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I mean, if you see my shows on QVC, we
have many many women who are not you know, they're
not at all. I don't think there's one of them
who's like a four or a two. They're usually I mean,
yes here in that is an extra extra small. But
one of my favorites, this one called Jackie, is a
good you know, she's a good twelve. You know, she's
a good fourteen, and she looks amazing in the clothes.
(13:44):
She happens to look like Charlie's thorn. So that doesn't hurt.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
But I have to say, you know, more and more
as I go into the world and I see what's going.
You know, I've been working at the Carlisle now for
like almost ten years. I know we're talking about that. Yeah,
you know, I've been working on stage for a long, long,
long time, and you know, I've been doing shows and
people who come backstage to see me sometimes are wearing
my clothes, and I usually prefer it when they're in
(14:11):
a bigger size. I don't know why I relate to that.
I relate to people who wear bigger sizes, that's all,
you know.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah, and how about the fact what I love about you.
And I have to show you this because I'm taking
them off my feet right now. I'm with you. I'm
a flip flop girl. I just saw you do something
on Instagram. I thought, first of all, what's into me
is what I like. I don't oh by the trends
or the styles. I still wear the skinny jeans. Talk
to my very cute cowboy boots. I don't like those big.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Baggie Oh yeah, well, I do nothing I like better
than big pants. But I don't like that for me.
But back to this idea of juxtaposing really interesting things.
I mean, I'm sure you have a few pairs of
high heels in your closet. I know you do.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Can't walk in them anymore because I can barely see
and I feel like I'm gonna fall over.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Let's talk that other on some other podcasts. But no,
but I need like in your brain as like this
perfect sort of I don't know, thirty to forty five
year old person, right, are gonna wear high heeled shoes sometimes,
and you are gonna wear very skinny, tight things sometimes.
And you are gonna get your hair done sometimes, you
are gonna get your makeup done, but to do that
(15:19):
all at once is not what it's about. This morning,
I was on Instagram and somebody posted a picture from
like nineteen ninety four or five of Christy Charlington in
this jet and this beautiful outfit of mine from the runway.
It's this kind of black strapless top and then like
a mid drift of course, you know, I mean, I
haven't even thought about my mid driff since the night, okay.
(15:41):
And then she has this giant ball gown skirt that's
kind of a like almost like a hip hugger ball gown.
It's fabulous. And I was so excited because in that
picture you could see her feet and she was wearing
what I made, which were these incredible little these tiny
little flats that looked like sneakers. They were like they
were all like wrestler shoes, but they had the stripes
(16:02):
like sneaker stripes. And I actually reposted the image and
I wrote, like, note shoes, notice shoes or something like that,
because after saying all that about flip flops and how
you want to wear like a ball gown with you know,
with tree torn sneakers, I mean, I think that's the
way we were kind of we understood that to be
(16:24):
a little bit better than wearing the whole glamorous thing
all at once, you know, like you would work with
the stylists so they could sort of rip it apart
a little bit, deconstruct it. You know, like maybe the
hair is a mess which I love. I love messy hair.
It's the same thing as a fliplop. You know, ha, no,
but you know right, no, But you know what I'm saying.
It's like something has to be real and tangible and
(16:47):
fabulously human. You know, Well, don't you.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Think that's the secret to Isaac Msrahi's success. Look at
all the decades that you have been soaring literally and
reinventing and recreating. Once you say, the secret to your
success is that you really talk to what America wants
and what they want to hear.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Maybe, so maybe, so that could be. I'm glad you
say that, of course, Like as a person who constantly
is creating things and appearing places, and you know, I
sing and I tell jokes, and I write a lot,
I'm producing a lot of television, et cetera. I only
just do what I think I should do. I don't
step back and go hmm, what's a good important message
(17:30):
for right now? You know, I don't really do things
like that. I just go like, oh, well, here's the
funny joke, or here's the plot, or here's the song,
or here's the dress. You know, it's always something that
reveals a kind of vulnerability, a kind of But I
don't try, is what I'm trying to say. It's just
I guess I'm such a mess that I can only
do these kind of crazy things that reveal my vulnerability.
(17:53):
You know.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Well, I've always said from day one, my first interview
in the nineties with you, that was a long time.
I can't you don't have like a late night talk
show someone Bravo the personality. Honestly, Isaac, everyone agrees with
me because you are just so damn funny and your
everything you say is just so engaging. Time to get
(18:15):
a show now, I know you've got a million as.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
I think you're right, honestly, So the next call I'm
in arrange with you and my agent. Okay, you tell
my agent about.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
That, but well you're doing all these things.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
That's right. No, it's always something I'm thinking about because
I did love doing that talk show. I love that
that was my I think, like my favorite thing, you know,
But I think you're right. I think maybe the thing
is maybe to try to find a late night situation
because then you can really just say whatever you want
and it's better. It's better if you say whatever you want, yes,
and just be you. Well that's the truth. And you know,
(18:49):
I started as a performer, as I told the story
so many times. I was a kid doing female impersonations
in like the garage, you know, and people would come
and see me do like Shirley Bass.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
You know.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Then I went to performing arts high school and I
was an actor, and then I went to Parsons. I mean,
you know, it's a long road here, you know. And
in nineteen ninety eight or something when I made this
major shift into I was trying to make a major
shift into show business and I started, you know, booting
up my one man show, and I started booting up
this talk show that I did for like seven or
(19:21):
eight years. Where did the talk show run again?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
What now?
Speaker 4 (19:24):
When on Oprah's what was it called again? Oh? Oxygen Oxygen?
And then it was on Style. It was first it
was on Oxygen for like four years. Then it was
on Style for three years. But anyway, the point is,
you know that when I was doing all of that,
it was like a conscious kind of a shift into
something back, you know, to what I really really wanted
(19:46):
to do. And in the interim, you know, like it's
very hard to separate one's love of something. You know,
I love clothes. It's like some people love to cook,
by the way, I love to cook. I know you
like to cook? Do you like to cook? Are you kidding?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
I think Carrie Bradshaw in a Sex and the City
she had the best that she uses her oven for storage.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Right, Well, I don't know why I thought you liked
to cook. Oh god, no, I'm the worst. I don't
know how to. I really like to cook. But in
other words, like there are some things that you're just
not going to stop doing. I'll probably never stop doing
clothes because I really like them. So if there are
people out there to buy them, then I will make them,
you know, So even as I transition into another kind
(20:27):
of creativity, there's no way I'm going to drop it,
because also it's who I am, you know. I remember
I was doing the costumes for that show on Broadway
called The Women. It was a revival in two thousand
and one. Okay, so that's how long that was ago.
And it was with you know, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin
Johnston and the fabulous Jennifer Coolidge. It was a lot
(20:48):
of people, and that we were all at under twelve
one night. You know, there's a restaurant in the theater
district called Unto twelve. Everybody goes after theater and and
I saw Cindy Adams, you know, the crazy, wonderful columnist,
Cindy Adams nineties now right, got to be in her nineties.
And I went over to say hello. She's like Isaac Darling,
and I said, you know, I'm trying to transition. I'm
trying to go into show business now. She said, Darling,
(21:09):
do not leave the fashion thing in the dust, because
that's the car that drove you to the party. You
never leave that car, you do not. I was like,
you know, and it was so annoying. I wanted to say, hey, Cindy,
get with it. This is my life, you know. But
she was right. She happened to be right. You know.
So the old adage never give up your day job, right, right,
don't leave your day job.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Ah yeah, But Honestly, Isaac, I've said this to our
dear friend, mutual friend, Linda Lambert. There is a talk
show out there for you, and it's just waiting to
be born.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
I think, you know what, I have a really good idea.
We're gonna maybe start pitching something soon. So stay tuned, see.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
It on E or Bravo, and please take me along.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
I could be your pet report, but I love that. Okay,
you'd be the Martin Wait a second, but you know what,
By the way, speaking of Linda, isn't she the most
inspiring person? Oh my gosh, just for her love of animals,
Like literally, you could text her at three in the
morning and go like, you know, I was thinking about you,
and you'll get back five memes of like animals in
(22:10):
danger and could you please give money to this charity?
Like that is now. She is really really exemplary.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Unbelievable And for our audience, it doesn't know Linda Lambert
because Linda prefers to really be out of the spotlight.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
She's a board member with the ASPCA. Well, Linda has
to be in a spotlight for a minute, because you
were talking about exemplary people and it's like, you know,
she is really really exemplary.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yes, And what I love about her she is pure.
Save those animals, she's like us. She wakes up in
the morning, it's my oxygen, you know, so she's right
there with us.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
And of course right now, you know, those poor animals
in la I mean, you see one more horrible footage
of a bunch of cubs coming out of the forest,
Oh my god, with a firefighter, and you think, like Jesus,
you know, and horses running around not knowing where the
hell to go. I mean, it's just so yeah, So
I feel like that's an incredible, incredible thing to focus
(23:06):
on because of course, like when these things happen, the
first thing you think about is your family and your
but they are our family people, right, But for me,
the first thing I think about is animals, you know,
like what is going on with those animals?
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Yeah, and it's so important because you know, again the
wildfires you watch and you're holding your breath hoping not
to see those images and hoping that they have gotten
to safety and people are taking them in and taking
care of them. But it's our worst nightmare. It just
keeps us up all night thinking about, I mean, the
poor people thank god. Humans have the ability to get
(23:42):
in the car get out. But if you don't take
the animals, what happens?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Right, I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
I don't know. And I have this fantastic story about
a friend of mine, Janine Robbins, who went nine to eleven,
so that's also years ago, right nine to eleven. But
she tells the story about how when she was evacuated,
she lives across the street from those buildings that went down, right,
literally across the street. She lived in Battery Park, right,
and they evacuated them when the towers went down, and
(24:11):
she was with her baby. She had her baby and
she had her dog, right, and she got to the
bus that was taking them to whatever, to the ferry
to statn Onli or how they were going because everybody
was evacuated to Staten Island or something quickly to get
them out. And she got to the bus and the
guy was like, you can't take your dog. I'm sorry,
and she was like, well, if you can't take the dog,
then I'm then me, the baby and the dog are
staying right here, like I will just stand here for
(24:34):
the next bus. And the guy said Okay, get on.
So she got her dog on, and I always thought
that was the bravest, most fabulous thing. I mean, I
don't know what anybody else would do, but I would
do that. I would stand there and say, okay, well,
I'm just going to burn in the flames of nine
to eleven with my dog if you don't let me
on this bus.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
You know, but thank goodness, that was nine to eleven,
you know, so many years ago, and I think today
they would never stop you from getting on the bus
with your dog, right, I hope.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
Not, Darling. I don't know. I don't know people. I
think things have changed.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
I think, you know, there was a time and they're
now trying to pass a bill that people can actually
take time off from work if they've lost a pet,
like mourning that pet.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
And that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
We've come such a long way because years ago, you know, oh,
your dog passed away, you couldn't show the emotion because
people wouldn't get it. Even though we know, and we've
always known what the pain and the.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Loss does to us.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
A piece of our heart goes with every one of
those animals.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Well, yes, you know what I got to say, because
having lost two dogs. At first I lost Harry, which
was the hardest thing in my life. But it was
also I can't explain this to you. Maybe you'll understand this, Jill,
because it's like something that I feel maybe is out there,
like when he passed, like it was devastating because where
(25:52):
is he? Like where is the physical evidence of this boy?
You know? But also I felt like inspired because I
thought like he passed into a crazy realm where he's
probably happier. And of course we all watched this integration,
which is very difficult as well. And then he couldn't see,
and he couldn't eat, and he couldn't move, and he
was messing himself and it was a mess. And finally
(26:14):
we have this incredible vet and she came and she
put him down. She was like, I can't believe you
waited this long. You know. It's like, really, next time,
maybe give it a minute, you know. But the point
is like when he finally passed, I did feel like
the spirit was very much And I swear to you,
like I know this sounds crazy. I still visit Harry.
I still have talks with that, I still visit with it.
(26:37):
This is like so this would be like he died
in twenty sixteen. I think twenty sixteen, But I swear
to you sometimes at night or in the bathtub. Weirdly,
in the bathtub, I go like, hey, Harry, how are you?
And we have like these conversations. It's crazy, but it happens,
and I feel like it's true. I feel like it's true.
Maybe that's just me trying to kind of like overcompensate
(26:59):
for the grief.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I love that, though, and I believe you. I believe
you really feel it. And you're having these conversations. What
does Arnold say if he's walking by the bathroom and
here's she's talk about.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Oh my god, Arnold, don't even ask, poor guy. I mean.
And it's funny because because we had these two dogs
called well, first I had Harry, and then I met
Arnold and we got Dean. He got Dean. Dean was
like this little beagle and he was the cutest boy
in the world. But he was a monster. He just
did the meanest. He was hilarious and just a little
(27:32):
too smart, you know, like they're so smart that they
just are nasty. It was a little nasty, little and
he wouldn't shut up. He was very vocal, and loud,
and when he passed, you know, as relieved as we were,
the loss was greater because of likely because of the
big personality, the big giant humanness of the personality, like
(27:53):
he was a dog, but he was also part human
because he was so I don't know what, like argumentative
and like you know, malevolence. I mean, he really was.
He was a monster. But when he died, boy, that
was and was like we were fighting till the last second.
Me and Arnold were screaming the night before he died,
like don't you dare move that? Don't you dare move that?
(28:14):
Like you know, keep him on his black and he was.
It was crazy. And then the next morning he died.
But it's like it's funny. It doesn't matter if they're
the sweetest people in the world if they die, like
even even the monsters, you know, you just you miss
those more. I've discovered. Oh I love the feistier, the better,
the worst little devil dog I scream laughing. You know,
(28:37):
it's like you come home and the house is like
covered in feathers because the dog I'm screaming laughing, and
Arnold is looking at me like really, and let's clean it. Up.
You know, what the hell? What else do we have
to do today? You know, well, you know talking.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
About your career and everything you've done. Is there anything
left on your bucket list at this point in life?
Speaker 4 (28:56):
I have to tell you this. I hate to tell
you this because I feel like it it makes me
sound like a crazy person, which is that I wrote
this novel that I'm hoping will be I'm probably going
to take it out like in a couple of months.
I'm just finishing it. It's been years. I've been working
on it, you know what. I've been working on it
in earnest since I finished my memoir, so that was
(29:17):
like twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen. So I've been working
on it like every day since then. But before that,
I was collecting this thought like I have this just
this overarching thought about a thing. So so you know what,
and so like for literally I don't know how many years,
like I've been thinking about it since like the early eighties,
since my twenties. You know this particular book, particular novel.
(29:38):
It's a novel, and tell me what's the premises. I'm
not going to tell you.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Oh you can't, you can't, Okay, a big.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Surprise, and that it's really not about the fashion world,
not about the entertainment business. Really. I mean there's a
little bit about the entertainment business, but it's more about
a bunch of people, a bunch of people, like an
alternative family. Oh, it's really really interesting. And it's the
A lot of sex in the book, that's all I'll
tell you. It's like every on the page is some massive, massive,
(30:06):
like sex scene.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Well I could see it maybe being a movie, you know,
it's X rated, but this is exactly this thing.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
So we're going to really get insight into Isaac's wild
mind with this one.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Oh maybe so. But when you say, what haven't I done?
I mean, I've written books, but I've never written I
wrote a graphic novel, but I never you know, called
Sandy's Superbatta. I never wrote. I never wrote a novel novel.
And this is my greatest you know. I hope this happens.
I hope this who knows, who knows. People might not
like it, but we'll see.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
And it seems everything you do get screenlit.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Are you crazy? Oh my god?
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Well, I've certainly read and heard on the watched all
of your accomplishments. I mean, I can't imagine anyone turning
you down.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
Well, Darling, Well, well, well that's a whole other podcast
that we have to talk about. You know, I have
to podcast for about a year. I don't know if
I'm gonna do it again. I have to tell you,
I admire you so much. It's it's such a commitment,
you know, it is, Yeah, it really is. It's like
a lifestyle, you know, and you're born for it. You're
so good. I love your podcast. But the point is,
like I honestly don't know after a while where that leads.
(31:13):
I don't exactly know where it leads, Like I was saying,
it's kind of like so I but I do know
that I would love to do, like you said, a
talk show. That would be a really, really, really great thing.
I think now is.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Your time to really show them the whole world. According
to Isaac.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
I love that. That's a good title too. People should really.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Go to the Carlisle because they really do get it
on the most of you that anybody can get in
one place.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Do you agree, yes, I would agree that is also
like either The Carlisle or one of my shows coming up.
I have a huge, Like I have the Carlisle for
ten days, you know, for ten shows. When is one
of the dates tell our audience that are February fourth
through the fifteenth. But then I start going out to like,
you know, Tampa and Palm Beach and a few places.
(32:00):
You know, I'm doing a whole West coast tour in
Scottsdale and in LA and in a few places. So
I'm really excited about this. You know, I did a
tour which was like a miniature version of what's coming
up about two years ago. But this year it's going
to be this massive tour of about like forty or
fifty stops. You know, I'm kind of excited, I know.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
So it's a combination of stories, singing, performing, just everything.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Isaac, that's right, Darling, that's right. That's right. And the
show I'm doing at the Carlisle and going forward into
my tour is called I Know Everybody. That's the name
of the show. And do I do Darling, I swear
to you. You could say a word, you could say
a name, and I would say, oh, yeah, God, I
had that crazy thing happen with that person, or oh
(32:46):
my god, I love that person, or yeah I fitted
her address one day and I saw her naked or
you know whatever. It is like, I have stories about
almost every single person you could mention. You know, what's
the best story.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
I don't want to go negative or caddy. What is
the best story you have to tell us about someone
really famous?
Speaker 4 (33:04):
Well, I'm going to tell you this story about when
I was a kid. I mean it started because I
went to Performing Arts High School. I told you that, right,
This is a this is not exactly a funny story.
It's not funny, but it's true, which is that when
I was a kid, I was given the first thing
at Performing Arts High School. The first day, we were
given this assignment to interview somebody in the theater. And
(33:24):
it could be a it could be an usher, it
could be someone who sells popcorn. It could be like
a stage measured anybody or an understudy or a star
or whatever. So I was obsessed with Chicago, you know,
the show which had just come out. This was nineteen
seventy four or something, right mean seventy five, And I
was obsessed, and I waited outside, and I waited outside
from Chicago, and finally Gwen Vernon came out, and she
(33:47):
not only gave me the interview. She took me to
Joe Allen. She do you, I mean, like, what about that? Okay,
I mean that is elegant, right, And she told me
all this great stuff and we said and it was
just something beyond I will never forget that. And then,
of course, by the way I hand it in the paper,
here's the thing. I got a B like I got
(34:09):
like you know, Gwen Verdon and I got a B. Okay,
like who got an a? I just want to know
who got an eight?
Speaker 3 (34:15):
And meanwhile, fast forward to your Broadway experience. That's right,
and you actually ended up in the show That's.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
True, which is thrilling, thrilling, thrilling thrill.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
I mean talk about full circle fame and fortune. That's unbelievable,
I know.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
And also just talk about a life. I was thinking
about this the other day, like I was watching, of
course on a loop, the Marvelous Missus Maisle because it's
the best love love, love, love, love, and I got
to this one of the final episodes where the couple
her husband's parents, right, they decide to sell the house
and move to Boca Right, And I thought to myself,
(34:52):
I am so never moving to Boca. Here's why I
can never be that far away from Broadway. Broadway is
like my session, you know. I mean, and so like
you know, talk show Broadway, I don't know. I have
to tell you. Broadway is a huge commitment of hearing
the show eight times a week.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
That is.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
But what about like what.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Billy Crystal did years ago, a one man show on Broadway.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Yes, Darling, it's happened. That's coming, that is coming. Oh,
this is a big scoop. I see this stick around,
stick around, I mean it stick around.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
And that people also don't know. And maybe we want
to end on this wonderful note.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You're also a singer. I don't think people realize. No,
I mean, you know, listen, I'm not like you know,
Ariana Grande or something. I mean, I'm not that. But
I can carry a tune and I feel like, you know,
I have a great bit of musicianship in me, you know,
I like arrange these songs with Ben and the band
Ben Waltz, who's my incredible musical director and arranger. But
(35:49):
I work on these arrangements with him really really painstakingly.
And it's this music that we make that I've been
doing since you know, I had a one man show
off Broadway called Les Miss Ray in two thousand end
right for a full year and a half, like that
was on for like ever, and he worked with me
on that show. He was He worked with me every
night in that show, and we've been working together since.
(36:11):
And it's really I mean, I'm not gonna say I'm
a good singer or a bad singer. I think I'm
compelling to watch as a singer, you know. Okay, not
to put you on the spot, but to end and
conclude this unbelievable interview, would you sing us out with something? Oh?
What should I sing? Gosh? Anything that moves you, Isaac. Well,
we're gonna kick it off. Am I going to say? Okay?
(36:32):
How about this? Where has the time all gone to?
Haven't done half the things we want to? Oh? Well,
we'll catch up some other time. How about that? Oh
that was beautiful. I love that it's Leonard Bernstein and
Comden and Green.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Oh what a fabulous way to conclude the best interview.
As always, we are going to do something together, Isaac,
and I want you to be a regular on this podcast, please.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
I do. I really love it so much. You're just
asking I shall appear.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Oh, Isaac, you made my day and I promise my
audience just the most exhilarating, entertaining interview and we delivered.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
Thanks to your you're the best.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Thank you so much, Isaac, and continued love and support
for our animals and need You're an angel on earth.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
Okay, listen, and you know we know three dogs that
could use to make up your six pack, Darling. Could
we know the dogs out there would use a home?
So okay, we'll talk. We'll talk, right, Isaac.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
Thank you so much, My love to Arnold and your
fur angels, and just continue with your dreams and passions.
We just want more of you, Okay, thank you, thank
you so much for joining us today on this incredible
wrap report to the Rescue podcast.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Let's Talk Pets, every week on demand only on Petlife
Radio dot com
Speaker 3 (38:11):
MHM
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's talk Pets.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Wrap Aport to the Rescue with award winning animal advocate,
best selling author, journalist and pet products creator Jill Rapoport.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Welcome to Rapaport to the Rescue.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
I'm Jill Rappaport. I have the.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Most entertaining, exciting guests today, and before I tell you
who that is, I just want to give you a
quick update on this amazing campaign that I'm doing for
my second year at Southampton Animal Shelter. I always feature
the underdogs, the seniors, the pits, the special needs. I
take the hardest to adopt their lifers, the ones that
usually never get out and are left languishing all around
(00:47):
our country, and I highlight them by doing heartfelt videos
showing how wonderful these animals are. All they want is
a second chance for a new life. Will This campaign
is going so great. More than half of my underdogs
have been adopted and or in foster. I'm further ahead
with this campaign two months in that I was ten
(01:09):
months in last year, so I'm so thrilled. Thank you
so much for your support. Please go to Southampton Animal
Sheltered look at the website. You can follow me on
social media. You can see the videos. I post them
every three days. These are amazing animals and please do
your part to make a difference for them. Again, my
campaign is called a Home for the Holidays and after
(01:31):
and please get on board to make a difference today.
All right, folks, coming up. My guest today puts the
F in fun and the een exuberant. He is one
of the most famous designers in the world, Isaac Mizrahi.
And what hasn't Isaac done? Besides being one of America's
premier and beloved designers, He's also an actor, a singer,
(01:53):
TV presenter, and his career continues to soar with his
Isaac Mizrahi brand for Excel Brands. All seeing him on QBC.
He's been on Broadway, He's been a Project Runway All
Stars judge, also a hilarious judge on RuPaul's Drag Race,
and returning this week, Isaac is back at the Cafe
Carlisle for an exclusive winter engagement, debuting his new show
(02:17):
called I Know Everybody. But with all of his projects
and passions, it's his pooches that tug at his heartstrings
the most. Isaac is such a wonderful voice for the
voiceless and thank Goodness for his love and support. So
when we come back, Isaac Mizrahi will be joining us.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Get ready, folks, and.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I guarantee it will be a conversation to remember and
one that you do not want to miss.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You know the expression kats have nine lives? Well, what
if you can give them one more? But give them ten?
Movement is on a mission to help give katz an
extra life. How with Spae and neoter Spain or Nootering
your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life and
it helps control free roaming cat populations too. Learn more
(03:11):
about the benefits of spee and neoter and meet Scooter
the neoter cat at give them ten dot org. Let's
give them t e n dot org.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
We wear fur and we're damn proud of it. What
hands our four legs and our tail and we go
to the bathroom outside, Well, we may not be too
proud of that. Let's sniff around, benmark your spot right here.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Pet Life Radio, Let's talk Pats, Let's talk Pats. Let's
done pets Headline Radio, pet light Radio dot com.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Hi, Welcome back to Rappaports to the Rescue, where you
heard my intro, And folks, if you're in your cars,
you might want to pull over because this guy is
so much fun and so entertaining. You might find it
hard to drive while you're listening to him, because you're
going to be laughing so hard.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Isaac.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I am so thrilled to have you back on. Would
you believe it's been almost five years since you were
on the show?
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Could you believe it's been five years? Wow?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I mean unbelievable. What took you so long to come
back onling?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
I don't know. I have no other life than actually,
no speaking of, I really don't have another life when
it actually it's all about my dogs. So we could
just do a podcast every single day and I would
have more and more and more to talk about.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Oh you got it. In fact, i'd love you to
be my regular Are you kidding? My co host on
this podcast?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Kay? All right, well we'll talk all about your dogs.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
And you heard in the intro. You know you have
a laundry list of all your incredible career, amazing achievements.
But I know it's the dogs that you care so
deeply about.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
It really is. And you know people always say to me,
oh what do you do in your spare time? Where
do you like to travel? And you know, blah blah blah.
And I always say to myself, you know, like I
don't even like to travel. I mean it, I travel
when I have to for work, but when I have nothing, Darling,
it's all about being here in my house with my dogs.
And I have to say, you know, we recently got it, well,
(05:21):
about two and a half years ago, we got a
new dog. We got a new child, I should say, Georgie,
who we adopted in August of twenty twenty. Oh, I
don't even remember. It's three years ago, so whatever that is.
How many do you have now? Now we have two? Okay,
Dean left the earth. Dean left the Earth about three
(05:41):
years ago, and like two months later we got Georgie.
And what we discovered very early on about Georgie, aside
from the fact that he is absolutely the most charming, funny,
adorable creature, is that he doesn't like to drive in cars.
He gets really ill, you know, totally. You could see
he starts to drool and he's trying to hold it
back to then finally he barfs no matter what, even
(06:02):
fifteen minutes in the car now we learned that driving
him from where we rescued him mid Island to bridge Hampton.
We learned that immediately about George, and we thought maybe
and he was a puppy, he was three months old.
We thought, oh, he'll grow out of it'll grow and
he never grew out of it. Like you know, I
don't know what to do about it. I'd like to this.
He just lives here, and you know, there always has
(06:22):
to be someone here, whether it's myself or my husband.
My husband and myself rarely are together anymore in the city,
which is an hilarious development. I must Isn't that just crazy?
That is so funny.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
And I'm fostering a dog now, who I'm of course
going to adopt, because there's no such thing as a
foster that I ever give back. I'm a true foster fail.
But you can hear her barking in the background. It's
Winnie the Pooper, we call her, and she is so hysterical.
You know, we have all these breeds of doodles. You
have the lab a Doodle, the Golden Doodle. I call
(06:55):
her my own separate breed, a whack a doodle.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Oh that's she is. Yeah, how many you.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
You know, the last time we spoke, it's so sad.
I always had a six pack, and now I've lost
so many dogs since I've spoken to you. We just
lost one, my Oscar Meyer, in September. I'm down to three,
and it really feels lonely, like what only three rescues
in the house?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Darling stick around. We can totally remedy that situation in
a minute.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
But I want to talk about what you and your
wonderful husband, Arnold. I mean, you are such great voices.
As I said in the intro for the Voiceless, I
know you do so much with the ASPCA. You were
honored by our You really are just the most wonderful
ambassador for these underdogs.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You know, I have this feeling we're just average. You know.
It's because of like I don't know. I think it's
because of my position in the world. And I'm so
happy that I can help in any way to make
this cause visible, you know. I mean, that's one reason
I'm really happy to be well known in the world.
You know. But as far as I'm concerned, we're very average,
(08:02):
except the fact, as I told you, that we will
live our lives in service to these dogs. And for me,
that's not even that's not like I can't do enough.
We're literally we're in this house. We're on about an acre,
literally one acre, And I say to myself, is it
big enough for the dogs? Like? Do they have enough?
Is it a little boring? The same acre? Maybe we
(08:22):
should get a bigger place so they have more room
to run around, they have more adventures, more trees to peon.
I don't know what you know. So it's like we
actually consider things like moving in order to accommodate our
dogs boredom. You know, it's like, oh, are the dogs
really bored? Because when you take this incredible care about something,
then you think, oh no, now I'm sheltering it. Now
that no adventures. Now they're bored now they don't see
(08:44):
any other dogs, Like, oh.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
This is what occupies your mind. And I know how
much you love Arnold. I mean, obviously I've been a
partner for so many years and your beloved husband, But
I have a feeling, Isaac. We talked about this during
COVID because we were alone, but we were never alone
because we had our animals. And you said they're your
best soulmates, all.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Right, are absolutely, absolutely and you know, like I have
to tell you this, this is a crazy thing. I
may have mentioned this to you before on this show,
but I think the reason that Arnold and I adore
each other so much is because we each know that
if we had to choose two things to leave with,
if you know, if we had we had to evacuate,
(09:25):
he wouldn't be one of the two things. It would
be Georgie and Kitty. You know, these would be the
two people that would come with me, you know. And
I think I know that he would leave me. And honestly,
like I'm not kidding you. We were in this car
crash once a long, long, long time ago when I
first got my first rescue dog named Harry. So this
would be like in like two thousand, like twenty five
(09:45):
years ago, twenty two, right, and I was in a
terrible I was kind of pinned in the car and
my hips were my hips were all shattered. I didn't
know it at the time, of course, I was just
freaking out. The car was a mess. They had to
trash the car, that had to cut me out with
those jaws of life. And Harry was in the back seat,
and Arnold was fine. He like walked away, and they
(10:06):
were going to take him to the to the hospital
to check him out, to give him some X rays
and see if he was okay. I said, you get
that dog home, Get the dog home, Get the dog.
And of course he got the dog. No, he took
the dog home first. You know, hadn't been him getting
the medical treatment. By the way, they took the dog
to the vet first, just to have him checked out,
and then they took the dog and then they took
(10:29):
Arnold home. And then I was in the hospital. So,
I mean, it was crazy, but I was in the
hospital and I was having my cat scans and my
MRIs or whatever it was, and I was on the
phone the minute he said like the dog was home.
I was like, Okay, that's it. I'm fine. I'm fine,
you know, that's all I could think about. Now give
me the painkillers. I'm fine. Now give me the puller. Yeah. Well,
(10:49):
that's what I love about you.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
We've talked about this for years, and I've interviewed you
so often over the years. It's my dream one day
to work with you. We'd got to do some sort
of an animal show together, Isaac, come on, or at
least a product lineitch it because you know, to me,
the best thing in the world, in addition to our
rescue animals, is laughter. So you are my dream man.
(11:12):
You make me laugh and you love the rescue animals
more than anything.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
So I adore you, well, I addore you. I'm same thing,
same thing. We have this mutual adoration I must say,
I must say, and your career.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I look at everything you've done, and like I said,
the laundry list of things, and now we all get
to see you on QBC. You've been a part of
Excel with this line of yours, which is so amazing
and what I am so intrigued by because you cater
to everybody. You can get a super small size, but
really Middle America, which isn't always extra small, and I
(11:45):
want to get into that because that's why. And I
feel like the appeal of your you and your success
is that you embrace all types of beautiful women, whatever
size they are, You love them. And you know, just
watching these award shows, now are we going back to
the super skinny look? I noticed a definite trend to me, the.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
People who look the best are the ones who don't
acknowledge that, you know. I noticed the really young, gorgeous
ones are not like the actual movers and shakers. I
don't know who, you know, Cat Cohen for instance, or something.
I'm just trying to think of, like the ones who
I find really fascinating looking, you know, Like I went
(12:27):
to see this incredible, incredible musical called Death Becomes Her,
you know, and they're all gorgeous.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
You know.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Michelle Williams is gorgeous, right, she really thin and she
looks incredible in dresses. But then you have Megan Hilty
who's not a four, she's not a two. She's probably
like an eight or at ten, so she's just a
normal size and she looks really really great, and they
don't try to cut things that make her look more
svelt or do any illusions. It's she just wears whatever
(12:58):
clothes that she needs to wear for that role, you know.
And I just found it so incredibly inspiring that you
know that we've graduated in fashion. I think we've graduated
from either showing like skinny skinny skinny girls are obese girls.
Now I think there are some women who are actually
like twelves and they look really good, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Is that what you try to do with your line
because I like you embrace everybody.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I mean, if you see my shows on QVC, we
have many many women who are not you know, they're
not at all. I don't think there's one of them
who's like a four or a two. They're usually I mean,
yes here in that is an extra extra small. But
one of my favorites, this one called Jackie, is a
good you know, she's a good twelve. You know, she's
a good fourteen, and she looks amazing in the clothes.
(13:44):
She happens to look like Charlie's thorn. So that doesn't hurt.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
But I have to say, you know, more and more
as I go into the world and I see what's going.
You know, I've been working at the Carlisle now for
like almost ten years. I know we're talking about that. Yeah,
you know, I've been working on stage for a long, long,
long time, and you know, I've been doing shows and
people who come backstage to see me sometimes are wearing
my clothes, and I usually prefer it when they're in
(14:11):
a bigger size. I don't know why I relate to that.
I relate to people who wear bigger sizes, that's all,
you know.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah, and how about the fact what I love about you.
And I have to show you this because I'm taking
them off my feet right now. I'm with you. I'm
a flip flop girl. I just saw you do something
on Instagram. I thought, first of all, what's into me
is what I like. I don't oh by the trends
or the styles. I still wear the skinny jeans. Talk
to my very cute cowboy boots. I don't like those big.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Baggie Oh yeah, well, I do nothing I like better
than big pants. But I don't like that for me.
But back to this idea of juxtaposing really interesting things.
I mean, I'm sure you have a few pairs of
high heels in your closet. I know you do.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Can't walk in them anymore because I can barely see
and I feel like I'm gonna fall over.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Let's talk that other on some other podcasts. But no,
but I need like in your brain as like this
perfect sort of I don't know, thirty to forty five
year old person, right, are gonna wear high heeled shoes sometimes,
and you are gonna wear very skinny, tight things sometimes.
And you are gonna get your hair done sometimes, you
are gonna get your makeup done, but to do that
(15:19):
all at once is not what it's about. This morning,
I was on Instagram and somebody posted a picture from
like nineteen ninety four or five of Christy Charlington in
this jet and this beautiful outfit of mine from the runway.
It's this kind of black strapless top and then like
a mid drift of course, you know, I mean, I
haven't even thought about my mid driff since the night, okay.
(15:41):
And then she has this giant ball gown skirt that's
kind of a like almost like a hip hugger ball gown.
It's fabulous. And I was so excited because in that
picture you could see her feet and she was wearing
what I made, which were these incredible little these tiny
little flats that looked like sneakers. They were like they
were all like wrestler shoes, but they had the stripes
(16:02):
like sneaker stripes. And I actually reposted the image and
I wrote, like, note shoes, notice shoes or something like that,
because after saying all that about flip flops and how
you want to wear like a ball gown with you know,
with tree torn sneakers, I mean, I think that's the
way we were kind of we understood that to be
(16:24):
a little bit better than wearing the whole glamorous thing
all at once, you know, like you would work with
the stylists so they could sort of rip it apart
a little bit, deconstruct it. You know, like maybe the
hair is a mess which I love. I love messy hair.
It's the same thing as a fliplop. You know, ha, no,
but you know right, no, But you know what I'm saying.
It's like something has to be real and tangible and
(16:47):
fabulously human. You know, Well, don't you.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Think that's the secret to Isaac Msrahi's success. Look at
all the decades that you have been soaring literally and
reinventing and recreating. Once you say, the secret to your
success is that you really talk to what America wants
and what they want to hear.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Maybe, so maybe, so that could be. I'm glad you
say that, of course, Like as a person who constantly
is creating things and appearing places, and you know, I
sing and I tell jokes, and I write a lot,
I'm producing a lot of television, et cetera. I only
just do what I think I should do. I don't
step back and go hmm, what's a good important message
(17:30):
for right now? You know, I don't really do things
like that. I just go like, oh, well, here's the
funny joke, or here's the plot, or here's the song,
or here's the dress. You know, it's always something that
reveals a kind of vulnerability, a kind of But I
don't try, is what I'm trying to say. It's just
I guess I'm such a mess that I can only
do these kind of crazy things that reveal my vulnerability.
(17:53):
You know.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Well, I've always said from day one, my first interview
in the nineties with you, that was a long time.
I can't you don't have like a late night talk
show someone Bravo the personality. Honestly, Isaac, everyone agrees with
me because you are just so damn funny and your
everything you say is just so engaging. Time to get
(18:15):
a show now, I know you've got a million as.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
I think you're right, honestly, So the next call I'm
in arrange with you and my agent. Okay, you tell
my agent about.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
That, but well you're doing all these things.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
That's right. No, it's always something I'm thinking about because
I did love doing that talk show. I love that
that was my I think, like my favorite thing, you know,
But I think you're right. I think maybe the thing
is maybe to try to find a late night situation
because then you can really just say whatever you want
and it's better. It's better if you say whatever you want, yes,
and just be you. Well that's the truth. And you know,
(18:49):
I started as a performer, as I told the story
so many times. I was a kid doing female impersonations
in like the garage, you know, and people would come
and see me do like Shirley Bass.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
You know.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Then I went to performing arts high school and I
was an actor, and then I went to Parsons. I mean,
you know, it's a long road here, you know. And
in nineteen ninety eight or something when I made this
major shift into I was trying to make a major
shift into show business and I started, you know, booting
up my one man show, and I started booting up
this talk show that I did for like seven or
(19:21):
eight years. Where did the talk show run again?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
What now?
Speaker 4 (19:24):
When on Oprah's what was it called again? Oh? Oxygen Oxygen?
And then it was on Style. It was first it
was on Oxygen for like four years. Then it was
on Style for three years. But anyway, the point is,
you know that when I was doing all of that,
it was like a conscious kind of a shift into
something back, you know, to what I really really wanted
(19:46):
to do. And in the interim, you know, like it's
very hard to separate one's love of something. You know,
I love clothes. It's like some people love to cook,
by the way, I love to cook. I know you
like to cook? Do you like to cook? Are you kidding?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
I think Carrie Bradshaw in a Sex and the City
she had the best that she uses her oven for storage.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Right, Well, I don't know why I thought you liked
to cook. Oh god, no, I'm the worst. I don't
know how to. I really like to cook. But in
other words, like there are some things that you're just
not going to stop doing. I'll probably never stop doing
clothes because I really like them. So if there are
people out there to buy them, then I will make them,
you know, So even as I transition into another kind
(20:27):
of creativity, there's no way I'm going to drop it,
because also it's who I am, you know. I remember
I was doing the costumes for that show on Broadway
called The Women. It was a revival in two thousand
and one. Okay, so that's how long that was ago.
And it was with you know, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin
Johnston and the fabulous Jennifer Coolidge. It was a lot
(20:48):
of people, and that we were all at under twelve
one night. You know, there's a restaurant in the theater
district called Unto twelve. Everybody goes after theater and and
I saw Cindy Adams, you know, the crazy, wonderful columnist,
Cindy Adams nineties now right, got to be in her nineties.
And I went over to say hello. She's like Isaac Darling,
and I said, you know, I'm trying to transition. I'm
trying to go into show business now. She said, Darling,
(21:09):
do not leave the fashion thing in the dust, because
that's the car that drove you to the party. You
never leave that car, you do not. I was like,
you know, and it was so annoying. I wanted to say, hey, Cindy,
get with it. This is my life, you know. But
she was right. She happened to be right. You know.
So the old adage never give up your day job, right, right,
don't leave your day job.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Ah yeah, But Honestly, Isaac, I've said this to our
dear friend, mutual friend, Linda Lambert. There is a talk
show out there for you, and it's just waiting to
be born.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
I think, you know what, I have a really good idea.
We're gonna maybe start pitching something soon. So stay tuned, see.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
It on E or Bravo, and please take me along.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
I could be your pet report, but I love that. Okay,
you'd be the Martin Wait a second, but you know what,
By the way, speaking of Linda, isn't she the most
inspiring person? Oh my gosh, just for her love of animals,
Like literally, you could text her at three in the
morning and go like, you know, I was thinking about you,
and you'll get back five memes of like animals in
(22:10):
danger and could you please give money to this charity?
Like that is now. She is really really exemplary.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Unbelievable And for our audience, it doesn't know Linda Lambert
because Linda prefers to really be out of the spotlight.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
She's a board member with the ASPCA. Well, Linda has
to be in a spotlight for a minute, because you
were talking about exemplary people and it's like, you know,
she is really really exemplary.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Yes, And what I love about her she is pure.
Save those animals, she's like us. She wakes up in
the morning, it's my oxygen, you know, so she's right
there with us.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
And of course right now, you know, those poor animals
in la I mean, you see one more horrible footage
of a bunch of cubs coming out of the forest,
Oh my god, with a firefighter, and you think, like Jesus,
you know, and horses running around not knowing where the
hell to go. I mean, it's just so yeah, So
I feel like that's an incredible, incredible thing to focus
(23:06):
on because of course, like when these things happen, the
first thing you think about is your family and your
but they are our family people, right, But for me,
the first thing I think about is animals, you know,
like what is going on with those animals?
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Yeah, and it's so important because you know, again the
wildfires you watch and you're holding your breath hoping not
to see those images and hoping that they have gotten
to safety and people are taking them in and taking
care of them. But it's our worst nightmare. It just
keeps us up all night thinking about, I mean, the
poor people thank god. Humans have the ability to get
(23:42):
in the car get out. But if you don't take
the animals, what happens?
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Right, I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
I don't know. And I have this fantastic story about
a friend of mine, Janine Robbins, who went nine to eleven,
so that's also years ago, right nine to eleven. But
she tells the story about how when she was evacuated,
she lives across the street from those buildings that went down, right,
literally across the street. She lived in Battery Park, right,
and they evacuated them when the towers went down, and
(24:11):
she was with her baby. She had her baby and
she had her dog, right, and she got to the
bus that was taking them to whatever, to the ferry
to statn Onli or how they were going because everybody
was evacuated to Staten Island or something quickly to get
them out. And she got to the bus and the
guy was like, you can't take your dog. I'm sorry,
and she was like, well, if you can't take the dog,
then I'm then me, the baby and the dog are
staying right here, like I will just stand here for
(24:34):
the next bus. And the guy said Okay, get on.
So she got her dog on, and I always thought
that was the bravest, most fabulous thing. I mean, I
don't know what anybody else would do, but I would
do that. I would stand there and say, okay, well,
I'm just going to burn in the flames of nine
to eleven with my dog if you don't let me
on this bus.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
You know, but thank goodness, that was nine to eleven,
you know, so many years ago, and I think today
they would never stop you from getting on the bus
with your dog, right, I hope.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
Not, Darling. I don't know. I don't know people. I
think things have changed.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
I think, you know, there was a time and they're
now trying to pass a bill that people can actually
take time off from work if they've lost a pet,
like mourning that pet.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
And that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
We've come such a long way because years ago, you know, oh,
your dog passed away, you couldn't show the emotion because
people wouldn't get it. Even though we know, and we've
always known what the pain and the.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Loss does to us.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
A piece of our heart goes with every one of
those animals.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Well, yes, you know what I got to say, because
having lost two dogs. At first I lost Harry, which
was the hardest thing in my life. But it was
also I can't explain this to you. Maybe you'll understand this, Jill,
because it's like something that I feel maybe is out there,
like when he passed, like it was devastating because where
(25:52):
is he? Like where is the physical evidence of this boy?
You know? But also I felt like inspired because I
thought like he passed into a crazy realm where he's
probably happier. And of course we all watched this integration,
which is very difficult as well. And then he couldn't see,
and he couldn't eat, and he couldn't move, and he
was messing himself and it was a mess. And finally
(26:14):
we have this incredible vet and she came and she
put him down. She was like, I can't believe you
waited this long. You know. It's like, really, next time,
maybe give it a minute, you know. But the point
is like when he finally passed, I did feel like
the spirit was very much And I swear to you,
like I know this sounds crazy. I still visit Harry.
I still have talks with that, I still visit with it.
(26:37):
This is like so this would be like he died
in twenty sixteen. I think twenty sixteen, But I swear
to you sometimes at night or in the bathtub. Weirdly,
in the bathtub, I go like, hey, Harry, how are you?
And we have like these conversations. It's crazy, but it happens,
and I feel like it's true. I feel like it's true.
Maybe that's just me trying to kind of like overcompensate
(26:59):
for the grief.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I love that, though, and I believe you. I believe
you really feel it. And you're having these conversations. What
does Arnold say if he's walking by the bathroom and
here's she's talk about.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Oh my god, Arnold, don't even ask, poor guy. I mean.
And it's funny because because we had these two dogs
called well, first I had Harry, and then I met
Arnold and we got Dean. He got Dean. Dean was
like this little beagle and he was the cutest boy
in the world. But he was a monster. He just
did the meanest. He was hilarious and just a little
(27:32):
too smart, you know, like they're so smart that they
just are nasty. It was a little nasty, little and
he wouldn't shut up. He was very vocal, and loud,
and when he passed, you know, as relieved as we were,
the loss was greater because of likely because of the
big personality, the big giant humanness of the personality, like
(27:53):
he was a dog, but he was also part human
because he was so I don't know what, like argumentative
and like you know, malevolence. I mean, he really was.
He was a monster. But when he died, boy, that
was and was like we were fighting till the last second.
Me and Arnold were screaming the night before he died,
like don't you dare move that? Don't you dare move that?
(28:14):
Like you know, keep him on his black and he was.
It was crazy. And then the next morning he died.
But it's like it's funny. It doesn't matter if they're
the sweetest people in the world if they die, like
even even the monsters, you know, you just you miss
those more. I've discovered. Oh I love the feistier, the better,
the worst little devil dog I scream laughing. You know,
(28:37):
it's like you come home and the house is like
covered in feathers because the dog I'm screaming laughing, and
Arnold is looking at me like really, and let's clean it. Up.
You know, what the hell? What else do we have
to do today? You know, well, you know talking.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
About your career and everything you've done. Is there anything
left on your bucket list at this point in life?
Speaker 4 (28:56):
I have to tell you this. I hate to tell
you this because I feel like it it makes me
sound like a crazy person, which is that I wrote
this novel that I'm hoping will be I'm probably going
to take it out like in a couple of months.
I'm just finishing it. It's been years. I've been working
on it, you know what. I've been working on it
in earnest since I finished my memoir, so that was
(29:17):
like twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen. So I've been working
on it like every day since then. But before that,
I was collecting this thought like I have this just
this overarching thought about a thing. So so you know what,
and so like for literally I don't know how many years,
like I've been thinking about it since like the early eighties,
since my twenties. You know this particular book, particular novel.
(29:38):
It's a novel, and tell me what's the premises. I'm
not going to tell you.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Oh you can't, you can't, Okay, a big.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Surprise, and that it's really not about the fashion world,
not about the entertainment business. Really. I mean there's a
little bit about the entertainment business, but it's more about
a bunch of people, a bunch of people, like an
alternative family. Oh, it's really really interesting. And it's the
A lot of sex in the book, that's all I'll
tell you. It's like every on the page is some massive, massive,
(30:06):
like sex scene.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Well I could see it maybe being a movie, you know,
it's X rated, but this is exactly this thing.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
So we're going to really get insight into Isaac's wild
mind with this one.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Oh maybe so. But when you say, what haven't I done?
I mean, I've written books, but I've never written I
wrote a graphic novel, but I never you know, called
Sandy's Superbatta. I never wrote. I never wrote a novel novel.
And this is my greatest you know. I hope this happens.
I hope this who knows, who knows. People might not
like it, but we'll see.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
And it seems everything you do get screenlit.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Are you crazy? Oh my god?
Speaker 3 (30:41):
Well, I've certainly read and heard on the watched all
of your accomplishments. I mean, I can't imagine anyone turning
you down.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
Well, Darling, Well, well, well that's a whole other podcast
that we have to talk about. You know, I have
to podcast for about a year. I don't know if
I'm gonna do it again. I have to tell you,
I admire you so much. It's it's such a commitment,
you know, it is, Yeah, it really is. It's like
a lifestyle, you know, and you're born for it. You're
so good. I love your podcast. But the point is,
like I honestly don't know after a while where that leads.
(31:13):
I don't exactly know where it leads, Like I was saying,
it's kind of like so I but I do know
that I would love to do, like you said, a
talk show. That would be a really, really, really great thing.
I think now is.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Your time to really show them the whole world. According
to Isaac.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
I love that. That's a good title too. People should really.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Go to the Carlisle because they really do get it
on the most of you that anybody can get in
one place.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Do you agree, yes, I would agree that is also
like either The Carlisle or one of my shows coming up.
I have a huge, Like I have the Carlisle for
ten days, you know, for ten shows. When is one
of the dates tell our audience that are February fourth
through the fifteenth. But then I start going out to like,
you know, Tampa and Palm Beach and a few places.
(32:00):
You know, I'm doing a whole West coast tour in
Scottsdale and in LA and in a few places. So
I'm really excited about this. You know, I did a
tour which was like a miniature version of what's coming
up about two years ago. But this year it's going
to be this massive tour of about like forty or
fifty stops. You know, I'm kind of excited, I know.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
So it's a combination of stories, singing, performing, just everything.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Isaac, that's right, Darling, that's right. That's right. And the
show I'm doing at the Carlisle and going forward into
my tour is called I Know Everybody. That's the name
of the show. And do I do Darling, I swear
to you. You could say a word, you could say
a name, and I would say, oh, yeah, God, I
had that crazy thing happen with that person, or oh
(32:46):
my god, I love that person, or yeah I fitted
her address one day and I saw her naked or
you know whatever. It is like, I have stories about
almost every single person you could mention. You know, what's
the best story.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
I don't want to go negative or caddy. What is
the best story you have to tell us about someone
really famous?
Speaker 4 (33:04):
Well, I'm going to tell you this story about when
I was a kid. I mean it started because I
went to Performing Arts High School. I told you that, right,
This is a this is not exactly a funny story.
It's not funny, but it's true, which is that when
I was a kid, I was given the first thing
at Performing Arts High School. The first day, we were
given this assignment to interview somebody in the theater. And
(33:24):
it could be a it could be an usher, it
could be someone who sells popcorn. It could be like
a stage measured anybody or an understudy or a star
or whatever. So I was obsessed with Chicago, you know,
the show which had just come out. This was nineteen
seventy four or something, right mean seventy five, And I
was obsessed, and I waited outside, and I waited outside
from Chicago, and finally Gwen Vernon came out, and she
(33:47):
not only gave me the interview. She took me to
Joe Allen. She do you, I mean, like, what about that? Okay,
I mean that is elegant, right, And she told me
all this great stuff and we said and it was
just something beyond I will never forget that. And then,
of course, by the way I hand it in the paper,
here's the thing. I got a B like I got
(34:09):
like you know, Gwen Verdon and I got a B. Okay,
like who got an a? I just want to know
who got an eight?
Speaker 3 (34:15):
And meanwhile, fast forward to your Broadway experience. That's right,
and you actually ended up in the show That's.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
True, which is thrilling, thrilling, thrilling thrill.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
I mean talk about full circle fame and fortune. That's unbelievable,
I know.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
And also just talk about a life. I was thinking
about this the other day, like I was watching, of
course on a loop, the Marvelous Missus Maisle because it's
the best love love, love, love, love, and I got
to this one of the final episodes where the couple
her husband's parents, right, they decide to sell the house
and move to Boca Right, And I thought to myself,
(34:52):
I am so never moving to Boca. Here's why I
can never be that far away from Broadway. Broadway is
like my session, you know. I mean, and so like
you know, talk show Broadway, I don't know. I have
to tell you. Broadway is a huge commitment of hearing
the show eight times a week.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
That is.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
But what about like what.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Billy Crystal did years ago, a one man show on Broadway.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Yes, Darling, it's happened. That's coming, that is coming. Oh,
this is a big scoop. I see this stick around,
stick around, I mean it stick around.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
And that people also don't know. And maybe we want
to end on this wonderful note.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You're also a singer. I don't think people realize. No,
I mean, you know, listen, I'm not like you know,
Ariana Grande or something. I mean, I'm not that. But
I can carry a tune and I feel like, you know,
I have a great bit of musicianship in me, you know,
I like arrange these songs with Ben and the band
Ben Waltz, who's my incredible musical director and arranger. But
(35:49):
I work on these arrangements with him really really painstakingly.
And it's this music that we make that I've been
doing since you know, I had a one man show
off Broadway called Les Miss Ray in two thousand end
right for a full year and a half, like that
was on for like ever, and he worked with me
on that show. He was He worked with me every
night in that show, and we've been working together since.
(36:11):
And it's really I mean, I'm not gonna say I'm
a good singer or a bad singer. I think I'm
compelling to watch as a singer, you know. Okay, not
to put you on the spot, but to end and
conclude this unbelievable interview, would you sing us out with something? Oh?
What should I sing? Gosh? Anything that moves you, Isaac. Well,
we're gonna kick it off. Am I going to say? Okay?
(36:32):
How about this? Where has the time all gone to?
Haven't done half the things we want to? Oh? Well,
we'll catch up some other time. How about that? Oh
that was beautiful. I love that it's Leonard Bernstein and
Comden and Green.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Oh what a fabulous way to conclude the best interview.
As always, we are going to do something together, Isaac,
and I want you to be a regular on this podcast, please.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
I do. I really love it so much. You're just
asking I shall appear.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Oh, Isaac, you made my day and I promise my
audience just the most exhilarating, entertaining interview and we delivered.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
Thanks to your you're the best.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Thank you so much, Isaac, and continued love and support
for our animals and need You're an angel on earth.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
Okay, listen, and you know we know three dogs that
could use to make up your six pack, Darling. Could
we know the dogs out there would use a home?
So okay, we'll talk. We'll talk, right, Isaac.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
Thank you so much, My love to Arnold and your
fur angels, and just continue with your dreams and passions.
We just want more of you, Okay, thank you, thank
you so much for joining us today on this incredible
wrap report to the Rescue podcast.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Let's Talk Pets, every week on demand only on Petlife
Radio dot com
Speaker 3 (38:11):
MHM
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