September 6, 2023 • 8 mins
Interview: Alicia Witt chats with Renee about her new EP Witness, music, dogs & Wethersfield!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
All right, it's celebrity access withone of my favorite actresses. I mean,
from Done to The Walking Dead,all the Hallmark movies and all the
incredible stuff she's done, and ofcourse music. Alicia Witt, it's so
nice to have you on our showtoday. Hey, thank you for having
me. Renee, it's good tobe here. Yeah. You know,
I've been following you for a longtime, and of course your journey through
(00:24):
cancer and everything you've gone through,and of course you know, I know
you've had some you know, aswith life, we've had some tragedies,
but you always seem to prevail withsuch positivity. So I just want to
start by asking you how are you? How are you doing today? Oh,
I'm fantastic. Yeah, I thinkyou know, as you said,
(00:45):
so many of us have come throughyou so many challenges. This life is
tricky, and I think if there'sone thing that's a blessing of how you
know, any small platform, isjust that perhaps through being a positive light
(01:08):
and helping to show people that I'vecome through this and you can too,
Maybe maybe that's some little little waythat I can help. It's been wonderful
to just to just have that formof connection. And reminds me a little
(01:30):
bit as well as what we allwent through in the pandemic and the kind
of community that we're all formed drewa lot of us closer together, and
I think music has just that anyway to get you through everything. I
can't think of a time in mylife where music hasn't connected to every single
(01:53):
moment I've been and obviously that issomething that is so important to you.
So tell me about music in yourlife, and of course Witness. I
cannot even imagine my life without notonly music that I listened to, but
also connecting to people through creating musicand performing it. I started doing this.
(02:21):
I mean I started playing music whenI was seven, studying classical piano
and competing, and about fifteen yearsago the lifelong pull to write my own
songs and perform them for people,whether that was going to be ten people
or a lot more than that,I just knew it was something I had
(02:43):
to do, and it's become asbig a part of my life as the
acting, and especially now given whatI went through two years ago. It
really the music that appears on thisnew EP, Witness. The six songs
(03:05):
on it were almost all written withinthe last few months, right before the
EP was even recorded, And theyare all different facets of my experience at
this very moment being a witness orgetting to have people be witnessed to me.
(03:30):
But most of all, I can'twait to hear what it means to
the listeners and how it hopefully helpsbring people together even more. Yeah,
you've created a nice little community withyour followers, your fans, the music
community that seemed to support you.I mean, you have people that like
you for all different reasons, soyou have this great outreach and it seems
(03:52):
like from an outsider looking in thatall people want to do is lift you
up and enjoy your music and yourspirit, which I think also comes through
on what I've been sent anyways,which I think is lovely. And I'm
going to put a link up foreverybody to get into contact with you,
well not you know what I mean, to get your album or to listen
to that. That sounded as alittle creepy and I didn't mean for it
(04:14):
the way he came out, butyou know what I mean, like to
get connected with everything you do.I don't have a lot of time with
you, as we all have toshare you today, but I wanted to
just bull and point a couple oflittle things. I know you love animals
and animal advocacy and pups and stuff, So I know music is important,
acting is important, your health too, But how important are animals in your
world? Crucially important? For thelast twenty, well the last thirty years,
(04:43):
I've had a rescue animal brunt andcenter in my life, starting with
my rescue cat Jesse, who wasfound wandering down the street by a friend
of mine. And right now Ihave my beloved Earn is to standing you're
looking at me working. He's arescue from the West La shelter. He
(05:03):
had a rusco of it kind ofshuttled all over the place not wanted,
which is unbelievable to me, forthe first year of his life. So
he was an adult dog that I'verescued nine and a half years ago,
and he just I cannot imagine mylife without him. He traveled almost everywhere
(05:26):
with me, and he really he'sactually started making debuts on stage, coming
out for encores when I play ashow, because he truly helps me to
just feel centered. And he wasright there with me on the Masked Singer
(05:47):
that on the episode where I endedup getting on mask. They did a
little piece on earnest and might personallydiablew up because it was like that was
the final clue giveaway. If youknow me, you probably know where it.
(06:08):
Yes, yes, we do.That's why I had to bring it
up. Because I'm known as thedog Lady of Connecticut. I do segments
on both radio and TV Lost andFound. I've got my puppets turning one
this Sunday proud mom moment. He'son the cover of Connecticut Dog Magazine for
the fall issue. But anyways,you know how to throw it in there.
And his name is Wolfe Wolfgang.But I also need to tell you
(06:30):
one last quick thing as we wrapup. So I'm from Connecticut and the
town that you filmed one of yourmovies in was an old weathersfield where I
grew up on in the street,and you went into one of the houses
that I grew up playing in andmy one of the it was just so
cool and I remember seeing you thereand I didn't say hello because I don't.
I never like to be, youknow, insinuate myself into someone.
(06:51):
But I had my poor Luke,who's not with us anymore. But he's
a black shepherd. I dressed himup in a scarf, and I'm like,
oh, he's totally getting discovered.And so he did the whole casting,
not cast, I should say,the whole crew of your movie took
like photos with him, and Iput them up there and I thought for
sure, and I was like sodevastated. I was actually weirdly angry at
(07:13):
Hallmark. I'm like, how dareyou not notice my son, my black
German shepherd to be in one ofyour night But I was he didn't get
discovered. It was very upsetting tome. I think I get discovered.
Dang it, it's not okay.It wasn't okay. I remember so fondly
filming that movie, and most particularlyof all the I can't I can't really
(07:38):
talk about movies because of my strikeright right right, and just telling you
how much I loved filming in oldWeathersfield. And it's because of the people.
I remember distinctly all the different experiencesI had, and they came out.
The folks who lived there just cameout and lined the streets and really
(08:00):
us feel like superstars, and weinvited us into their homes. I remember,
I was still drinking at the time, and on a Sunday we had
to film something and a very nicegroup of neighbors made some bloody marries and
(08:20):
so just so kind. I lovedit there. I loved it. I
hope, I hope I'll get towork there again. Well, I wish
you nothing but continued success. Ilove the dynamics of your personality, your
love of animals, the movies youmake, the music you make, and
the fact that you love the WalkingDead and Dune and You've got that part
of you that I love as well. So I'm a huge fian girl here
(08:41):
in Connecticut. I wish you justlove and success and great vibes for all
your tours, all your music,and give an extra treat to Ernest from
me and Wolfie today. I surewill. Thanks for Rene. Have a
great day. By Alisha
All right, it's celebrity access withone of my favorite actresses. I mean,
from Done to The Walking Dead,all the Hallmark movies and all the
incredible stuff she's done, and ofcourse music. Alicia Witt, it's so
nice to have you on our showtoday. Hey, thank you for having
me. Renee, it's good tobe here. Yeah. You know,
I've been following you for a longtime, and of course your journey through
(00:24):
cancer and everything you've gone through,and of course you know, I know
you've had some you know, aswith life, we've had some tragedies,
but you always seem to prevail withsuch positivity. So I just want to
start by asking you how are you? How are you doing today? Oh,
I'm fantastic. Yeah, I thinkyou know, as you said,
(00:45):
so many of us have come throughyou so many challenges. This life is
tricky, and I think if there'sone thing that's a blessing of how you
know, any small platform, isjust that perhaps through being a positive light
(01:08):
and helping to show people that I'vecome through this and you can too,
Maybe maybe that's some little little waythat I can help. It's been wonderful
to just to just have that formof connection. And reminds me a little
(01:30):
bit as well as what we allwent through in the pandemic and the kind
of community that we're all formed drewa lot of us closer together, and
I think music has just that anyway to get you through everything. I
can't think of a time in mylife where music hasn't connected to every single
(01:53):
moment I've been and obviously that issomething that is so important to you.
So tell me about music in yourlife, and of course Witness. I
cannot even imagine my life without notonly music that I listened to, but
also connecting to people through creating musicand performing it. I started doing this.
(02:21):
I mean I started playing music whenI was seven, studying classical piano
and competing, and about fifteen yearsago the lifelong pull to write my own
songs and perform them for people,whether that was going to be ten people
or a lot more than that,I just knew it was something I had
(02:43):
to do, and it's become asbig a part of my life as the
acting, and especially now given whatI went through two years ago. It
really the music that appears on thisnew EP, Witness. The six songs
(03:05):
on it were almost all written withinthe last few months, right before the
EP was even recorded, And theyare all different facets of my experience at
this very moment being a witness orgetting to have people be witnessed to me.
(03:30):
But most of all, I can'twait to hear what it means to
the listeners and how it hopefully helpsbring people together even more. Yeah,
you've created a nice little community withyour followers, your fans, the music
community that seemed to support you.I mean, you have people that like
you for all different reasons, soyou have this great outreach and it seems
(03:52):
like from an outsider looking in thatall people want to do is lift you
up and enjoy your music and yourspirit, which I think also comes through
on what I've been sent anyways,which I think is lovely. And I'm
going to put a link up foreverybody to get into contact with you,
well not you know what I mean, to get your album or to listen
to that. That sounded as alittle creepy and I didn't mean for it
(04:14):
the way he came out, butyou know what I mean, like to
get connected with everything you do.I don't have a lot of time with
you, as we all have toshare you today, but I wanted to
just bull and point a couple oflittle things. I know you love animals
and animal advocacy and pups and stuff, So I know music is important,
acting is important, your health too, But how important are animals in your
world? Crucially important? For thelast twenty, well the last thirty years,
(04:43):
I've had a rescue animal brunt andcenter in my life, starting with
my rescue cat Jesse, who wasfound wandering down the street by a friend
of mine. And right now Ihave my beloved Earn is to standing you're
looking at me working. He's arescue from the West La shelter. He
(05:03):
had a rusco of it kind ofshuttled all over the place not wanted,
which is unbelievable to me, forthe first year of his life. So
he was an adult dog that I'verescued nine and a half years ago,
and he just I cannot imagine mylife without him. He traveled almost everywhere
(05:26):
with me, and he really he'sactually started making debuts on stage, coming
out for encores when I play ashow, because he truly helps me to
just feel centered. And he wasright there with me on the Masked Singer
(05:47):
that on the episode where I endedup getting on mask. They did a
little piece on earnest and might personallydiablew up because it was like that was
the final clue giveaway. If youknow me, you probably know where it.
(06:08):
Yes, yes, we do.That's why I had to bring it
up. Because I'm known as thedog Lady of Connecticut. I do segments
on both radio and TV Lost andFound. I've got my puppets turning one
this Sunday proud mom moment. He'son the cover of Connecticut Dog Magazine for
the fall issue. But anyways,you know how to throw it in there.
And his name is Wolfe Wolfgang.But I also need to tell you
(06:30):
one last quick thing as we wrapup. So I'm from Connecticut and the
town that you filmed one of yourmovies in was an old weathersfield where I
grew up on in the street,and you went into one of the houses
that I grew up playing in andmy one of the it was just so
cool and I remember seeing you thereand I didn't say hello because I don't.
I never like to be, youknow, insinuate myself into someone.
(06:51):
But I had my poor Luke,who's not with us anymore. But he's
a black shepherd. I dressed himup in a scarf, and I'm like,
oh, he's totally getting discovered.And so he did the whole casting,
not cast, I should say,the whole crew of your movie took
like photos with him, and Iput them up there and I thought for
sure, and I was like sodevastated. I was actually weirdly angry at
(07:13):
Hallmark. I'm like, how dareyou not notice my son, my black
German shepherd to be in one ofyour night But I was he didn't get
discovered. It was very upsetting tome. I think I get discovered.
Dang it, it's not okay.It wasn't okay. I remember so fondly
filming that movie, and most particularlyof all the I can't I can't really
(07:38):
talk about movies because of my strikeright right right, and just telling you
how much I loved filming in oldWeathersfield. And it's because of the people.
I remember distinctly all the different experiencesI had, and they came out.
The folks who lived there just cameout and lined the streets and really
(08:00):
us feel like superstars, and weinvited us into their homes. I remember,
I was still drinking at the time, and on a Sunday we had
to film something and a very nicegroup of neighbors made some bloody marries and
(08:20):
so just so kind. I lovedit there. I loved it. I
hope, I hope I'll get towork there again. Well, I wish
you nothing but continued success. Ilove the dynamics of your personality, your
love of animals, the movies youmake, the music you make, and
the fact that you love the WalkingDead and Dune and You've got that part
of you that I love as well. So I'm a huge fian girl here
(08:41):
in Connecticut. I wish you justlove and success and great vibes for all
your tours, all your music,and give an extra treat to Ernest from
me and Wolfie today. I surewill. Thanks for Rene. Have a
great day. By Alisha
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