March 4, 2025 • 38 mins
Actress Sydney Cole Alexander joins Emily and Haley to discuss how a Crest commercial influenced her role on Apple TV's 'Severance,' her first film premiere (which Emily also attended), and how switching seats with Taylor Swift got her through the pandemic. Emily can't believe this interview is happening, Haley bonds with Sydney over barmaiding, and the board concludes the call.
So put on your tool belt, recite a cliche, and make sure you're in the shot as you enjoy this episode of 'How To Make It With Emily & Haley.' (Please enjoy each moment equally).
'Severance' Season 2 is available to stream now on Apple TV+.
Watch this full interview on our YouTube page: @HowToMakeItPodcast
Follow us on Instagram: @howtomakeitpodcast
So put on your tool belt, recite a cliche, and make sure you're in the shot as you enjoy this episode of 'How To Make It With Emily & Haley.' (Please enjoy each moment equally).
'Severance' Season 2 is available to stream now on Apple TV+.
Watch this full interview on our YouTube page: @HowToMakeItPodcast
Follow us on Instagram: @howtomakeitpodcast
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Emily and I'm Hailey. After meeting online, we
became international best friends who bonded over how hard it
is to find success in the entertainment industry.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Join us and our celebrity co authors as they help
us write the book on how to make it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And, more importantly, uncover what making it even means?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
May that made us sound so much more serious than
we actually are?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Should we switch roles on this time? Okay, see that's
the intro.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hi, my name is Sydney Coole Alexander, and I wanted
to be a singer and an actor when I grew up.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Ah, she made it happen any particular genre of music.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
R and B. I like R and B a lot.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Any major influences as a child that were as a
child a big Destiny's child.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
And then I think as I got older, Erica Vadu, Okay.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I didn't know if you were going to be a
musical sater kid.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Strangely enough, it never really interested.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Me how interesting that would be?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Like the past, right, the natural progression?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeah, singing and acting. Don't ask me to do them
at the same time. Separately, yes, separately only What was.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Your path into the acting then, Sydney, did you take
a quite traditional path into it?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I did, so I always knew that I wanted to
be a performer. There's like a story of meeting four
years old and seeing like a fred Astaire in Ginger
Rogers film playing on TV and dropping my toys and
like staring at the TV and turning being like, that's
what I want to do. So I don't remember choosing
it from my earliest memory. I just remember wanting to
do this. So I pretty much just joined any and
(01:54):
every extracurricular activity that I could possibly do, from dance
to chorus to a show QUI to the school place.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
And then I lived along. I'm from Chicago.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I lived in Jersey for a year, actually, then I
lived on Long Island for a while, and then I
moved to New York City when I was thirteen years old,
and I immediately went and auditioned for performing arts middle school.
So I went to this school called PPAs the Professional
Performing Arts School in the eighth grade. But it was
way too small and there was too much drama for me.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
I couldn't deal.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
And in New York City, the high school process is
like a mini college process, like you have to audition
for the schools. You have to write letters. It's crazy.
Otherwise you either have to go to your own school
or try to get into a private school, and they're
so expensive. So I needed to go to public school route.
So I auditioned for every performing arts school under the sun,
(02:48):
and I ended up getting in PPAs House, a high
school as well attached to it, and I got in
for vocal, but I didn't want to go there. Then
I got into La Guardia for acting. I didn't get
into for vocal. I sang eight No Sunshine by Bill
Weathers for an opera program. I should have known that
was not going to work, and I got it right.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
It was a brave choice, Sidney.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
I know it was bold. It was bold.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
So I decided to go to LaGuardia because it was
just obviously fantastic school and I really wanted to be
in a larger school.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
And I'm so glad that I did.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
And I ended up falling in love with acting because
I just thought it was so complicated and so hard
and I wasn't I didn't feel like I was necessarily
great at it, and I loved the challenge, and so
I studied there for four years. We had four hours
of class acting class every single day, and then as
we got older, we did plays like and senior year,
(03:42):
and then I went to Sunny Purchase and got my
BFA the conservatory there.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah, a lot of training, a lot of training hours.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, I was gonna say. I was like, I want
to be like you can tell. But then I'm like,
do people think that's not a good thing, because I
mean it as a really good thing. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I think it's a good thing. I didn't take it negatively.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I think it's the only way you can get like
really nuanced performance. I think it's a craft.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
It's really wonderful. I love being trained. I will say
that I think it does kind of start you out
later because I was auditioning when I got out of
high school, but I was in a conservatory and at
the time you really weren't allowed to audition.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Or take jobs.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So I feel like I kind of stepped out into
the world at twenty three. And they say it takes
ten years to start getting some traction, and that has
absolutely been my experience. So I think it has its
ups and downs, but I do think at the very
least taking classes and studying is really important.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I must be on a time delay because I'm going
on eleven years.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Listen, I feel you, I really do.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Now we move into a section where we tell you
two interesting facts that we found out about you on
the internet. So far, we haven't ruined anyway. So mine
is that you and I we were both at the
premiere of Shallow Tale. I want to hear about what
(05:25):
it was like shooting that movie, especially because I feel
like it's such an I loved the movie. I left
the movie and I told everyone about it and I
was like, it's one of my favorite things now. And
I was writing so furiously when I was watching it
because I was doing review that I lost two pens.
(05:46):
They like flew out of my hands like both times,
and then I was penless.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
But I loved it. I was integrated in my hand.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
No, it flew out, and then someone was like, do
you need another pen? And I was like, thank you
so much, and then like three more sentencess my anyway,
So I'd love to hear about what that was like
filming and how it because both you and britt Lauer
are in that as well, and I'm like, how do
you approach a scene? With someone that you're in such
(06:17):
different scenes within a different project.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
So Britt didn't even know I was in the film,
which is funny because I was like, maybe she put
in a word for me, you know, But I think
it just like happened, and I'm realizing that the industry
gets smaller and smaller.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yeah, longer you're in it.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
But so I booked the film and I wasn't floried
at the time with my friends, and I was so excited,
and I was really pumped to work with Brett again.
She and I are friends now and she's just such
a lovely person and an actor that I respect so much,
So I was excited to film with her again. But
I think also because we had gotten to know each
other off a seen a little bit, it was a
little bit easier to play friends.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yea.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
But I wasn't really sure because is that the film
it has such a specific tone. And when I was
when I was in the premiere, it was my first
time going to a premiere, so it was my first
time like.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Sitting in a theater and like seeing a big screen
of work I had done.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Wow, it was so much funnier than I thought I knew.
It was funny because the actors are funny and it's clear,
but it was way funnier than I thought. So it
was pretty interesting to think about it one way and
then to actually see it and for it to be
so different than I had anticipated, because I believe I
only shot over two days for that film, so I
didn't really get a full sense of the tone.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Until I saw it.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
And working with Great was wonderful, as per usual, She's
just so focused and so lovely and so humble, and
it was really cool to play two completely different characters, yeah,
than our lumin Severan's characters.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Yeah, it was a wonderful experience.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah. The scene where you guys are I think it's
in a cafe are restaurant of some sort of chatting.
The whole time, I was like, like, I'm like someone's
gonna get hurt or attacked or something like. It was.
It was very strange to see you guys be so
naturally friendly, And then I did think I wonder if
they were great friends before or they worked like they
(08:18):
knew they were both going to be on this project,
because it seems so natural as compared to what I
had seen you both in before. So that's really interesting
to hear, and it's.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
So different, even like Zoe's hair and her makeup.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, oh I love the hair.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Motalie is so yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
If and like every curl on her head is literally
every curl is curled manually. So it's just it was
different to have my hair like picked out and wild,
and it was really cool to be able to work
with her on such a different project.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
That's cool. It's interesting what you said about the tone
of it, because I find that with like a lot
of stuff I work on, I have no idea what
it's going to feel like tonally until I watch it
at all. When you're working on Severance, do you like,
obviously you've got an idea of tone now, but did
you have any idea of the tone of that to
start with?
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Strangely enough, sometimes I read a script, and I've read
hundreds and hundreds of scripts, and sometimes I read a
script and the tone isn't very clear to me, or
it takes me a wild understand it, or I have
to work through it with friends to find the tone.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
But Severance was a.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Script that just immediately made sense to me, and I
remember when I read the script, I had the same
feeling that I had when I read Handmaid's Tale where
I was like, oh, this is going to be great.
And I remember talking to my therapist about it when
I booked. He's like, don't get your hopeself though manager expectations.
I'll said, no, this is going to be great. Okay,
I know it, And so I think I really understood it.
(09:47):
I had worked a corporate job, and I felt like
I really understood Natalie because of those experiences, and as
far as just the way that the group functions, the
way that LUMAN functions as a almost like a corporate cult,
I felt like I really understood that. And I also
understood this like ecstatic union and merging that these people
(10:12):
have in common, especially the higher ups at Lumen, not
necessarily the Indians who have that in their own way.
So the tone was pretty clear to me, but I
will say it far exceeded my expectations when I saw
it for the first time.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I remember I was.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Doing a play in Colorado and we opened the show
the day that Severn's premiered, which was such a lovely
feeling to like open a show and then run home
and watch the premiere and my jaw hit the floor.
I just was amazed by the cinematography and it just
really was.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Everything I had hoped for and five hundred times.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
More amazing incredible. My question is completely away from any
of these. You were in a Capital one out of
Tyler Swift. Yes, how did this come about?
Speaker 4 (11:06):
So commercials?
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I got a commercial rep pretty soon out of school.
I have an amazing management team. I'm JA management managed
to Kobe Patrick, Keene, TC Land. They're incredible. I'm so lucky,
And so they set me up with with some agents
to meet with right after I graduated. We kind of
just tried auditioning first a little bit, then set up
(11:28):
with agency meetings. So I got a commercial agent work
with them for a while, switch commercial agencies and I
don't know, I auditioned for this commercial, and I felt
so lucky because when it comes to commercials, if you're
not like really clearly in the shot, you don't get
the residuals. So at the time, Taylor had asked for
(11:48):
me to like switch seats, and I was like yes,
because I was in the shot and that money brought
me through the band dom.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, be in the shot. Making sure you're in the shot.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
There's so much filming in New Jersey right now, like
so much. And Netflix is coming and Lionsgate is coming,
and you're gonna just start seeing me like in the
back exactly the window the restaurant scene. I'm gonna be
like my phone number, like on a good idea. That's
so interesting. When I saw I saw you had been
in a Crest commercial. Yeah, and I was like, that
(12:28):
makes sense because I like when I'm watching Severn, so
I'm like looking at your teeth.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Well that Cress commercial.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
So Natalie's smile was inspired by the Cress commercial.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Yeah, no way.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
My first day on set was that little news scene
in season one where Adam Scott Mark is watching Natalie
having a debate on the news and so that was
a quick day. My first like true like meaty day
on set was the first sporting Patrisha Arcutt and I
entered onto set, I'm ready to go, and the first
(13:02):
thing that Ben says to me is high Crest girl
like high.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
And then I'm like, oh my god, this is so strange.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
The worst things you could be known as.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
I know, I was like, I can't believe he saw
my crist commercial. But you know he loves the Knicks
and sports, so he probably has seen a lot of commercials,
and so when we were filming it, a couple of
times I was smiling because I had done that in
my audition. I had been smiling, and he was like,
I really want to see the crest smile, Like give
me your crest smile, like bigger, bigger, bigger, And so
it kind of just inspired the Natalie smile. So I'm
(13:36):
so thankful for that commercial because somehow it influenced Separates.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Which I just think is so funny. They're very different things.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You know, does anyone in your family work in dentistry?
I feel like everyone I know who has really great teeth,
they're like, my dad's a dentist. And I'm like, oh, well, okay.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
I had braces for a while. I used to have
a gap here, which I wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
I wish.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I keptic because I think those gaps are so cute.
I love to suck gelo out of it. As a kid,
it was awesome. I would like make sounds with it.
But I had braces for quite a long time.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Natalie would never have a gap in her She wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
She wouldn't. That's tree, that's tree.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
I mean, it actually leads me perfectly into my question.
And I'm gonna give background on this for a second.
So I am a massive fan of Severance, mostly because,
well not mostly for a lot of reasons. I don't
think I've mentioned this on the podcast before, but I've
had a lot of medical trauma, so I've saw I
(14:47):
have a lot of post traumatic stress disorder, and I
relate too well to the Inny Audi reintegration whole thing.
For the past nine years, it's been a daily battle
for me to try and find that middle and be
okay if maybe that doesn't fully happen. And so the
(15:09):
show to me has been like, I mean, comparatively, like
The Truman Show is one of my favorite movies for
that same reason. It's very yeah, it's very what are
we gonna do if we can't forget what's happened kind
of thing, and so I'm a huge fan of the show.
I was living in LA for ten years and the
first thing I did when I moved back to New
(15:29):
Jersey is contact someone I went to high school with
and was like, do you want to reuni? And do
you want to do it at Moutman? So we drove
out there and God bless her, she took a million
pictures of me in front of the water tower and everything.
And I want to bring up a scene from season two,
episode three. I believe it was where you are in
(15:50):
the in the scene with I can only call him milkshake.
Now I call a milkshake evil. Milkshake is my favorite.
But with Tremmell Tilman and and he's just been gifted
those images of a cure and you both have this
moment which I was watching it it was like DNA altering.
(16:12):
I was like in such awe where no one speaks
and you just have this exchange where in my mind
he's like, are we really doing this? And you have
this moment where for a second that you falter first,
And I like watched the scene and I was like,
it's so rare. I feel like these days when we're
reminded why we love art in the first place. I
(16:33):
think that's why there's so many reboots. It's like, remember
when we were you know. And so that was a
moment where I was like, this is why I love
film and TV and acting and art. And so my
question is, when you're in a scene like that, do
you know that you're in the middle of something that
(16:57):
is like gonna be super impactful and brilliant. Or are
you Is it just you're in the scene and you
do it and then afterwards maybe you reflect or you
see it on TV and you understand it then, or
is the thing where you're in the moment and you're
like this, we're about to have a like an iconic scene.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
I love that question.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
First of all, thank you for sharing that and expressing
yourself like it really touches my heart to be a
part of something that is meaningful to people, because I
think as an actor, like I'm excited to do any work,
but to do something that people respond to that touches
their heart like it's literally a dream come true, so
much so that it's almost hard to process.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Emotional, I would say.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
That I loved the scene and I felt like the
scene was special, And I also was a little nervous
going into the scene because Trammel and I had spoken
about wanting to do it in a way that wouldn't
isolate the audience necessarily, and that would be touched on
with consciousness and sensitivity. But we're also playing these characters
(18:05):
and where Natalie is, she's very empathetic. I think that's
why she's so good at manipulating people because she can
feel what people are feeling immediately, but is.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
She sympathetic is a different guest.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Yeah, And so it's interesting as an actor to be
conscious of that, but then have to put this layer
on as the character who is going to respond differently
to the material. And so in the moment, there was
so much silence, and something that I really loved is
that we were given a lot of free rein to
kind of explore that scene and bring to it what
(18:35):
we thought it needed to have, as well as amazing
directing by Ben as well. So it felt very collaborative,
which was so nice. When we did the scene, we
had tried it a bunch of different ways. But something
that I was trying to tap into is just this
fear of what's underneath coming to the surface, because Natalie
has a veneer and things stay under the surface in
(19:00):
a way. And so when Tremuel was looking at me,
and he's such an incredible actor and it was so
present and he was really like boring into my soul,
it felt like it was all bubbling up, which is
not something that Natalie is comfortable with and not something
that she can allow to happen. She has to keep
her structure, and there are certain things that she cannot
be conscious of and that she's not conscious of that
(19:21):
I'm aware of, and so which I did a bunch
of different ways, And I do remember when we did
that one take that I believe is the one that
ended up being actually in the episode. I remember something
weird happening to my face and my mouth, and I
didn't know what was happening because I think I was
in a moment with him.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
But after the scene.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Ben was like, Okay, we're done, like we got it,
and I just knew somehow that that was the take
they were going to use. That's the only way I
can describe it, as I was like, that felt like
the one. A lot of times you don't know what's
going to end up on scenes, so I did feel
that something kind of wonderful was happening between Tremel and I,
but I and I was hoping that the audience would
(20:04):
respond to that scene, but I didn't expect the reaction
that we got. And it's been kind of mind blowing
really for people to have connected to it so much.
It's been an absolute honor and a dream and I'm
so thrilled. I'm so thrilled by the reaction.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
I like sent it to I sent it to my mom.
She doesn't watch severance. I was like, look at this
and she was like, oh my god, what is like?
I don't even know what's happening. But I love and
I just like everybody, look when you can act like
that and not be speaking, I'm like, that's it. There's nothing,
(20:43):
there's something else, just absolutely incredible.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
When you're kind of accessing parts of yourself when you're
when you're acting in scenes like that and you can
almost kind of feel those involuntary things happening in your body.
Do you think you're work on stage has helped that
along or do you think that's something that you can
develop solely in screen?
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I would say absolutely.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I think that like going to conservatory, having all that training.
It's they always say it, and it was used to
annoy me, like it's a toolbox and you add to
your toolbox and it's like, oh, I hate this phrase.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
But there are like.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Tools that I maybe show for years don't think about,
or lessons that pop into my head that a teacher
something a teacher had said to me that didn't really
make sense to me at the time, but stuff somewhere
in the back of my head that suddenly makes sense
to me. So I think that that training certainly helped.
But another thing that's really big for me is that
I've been in therapy for a long time, Like I'm
(21:45):
going to group therapy tonight, and I think that understanding
my own psychology, understanding my brain going to therapy for
all of these years, and being in group as well,
watching other people process, understanding how other people work, listening
to psychology audiobooks, and just trying to understand the human
condition to the best of my ability, which is impossible
to understand, has been one of the most helpful tools
(22:07):
for me because I think it's so easy to play
caricatures or to judge characters, and as much as I
try not to judge i'm a person, sometimes it happens.
But to really try to strip out away and understand, like,
how could someone turn out like this, Why would someone
make these choices, how do they relate to people, How
did they grow up and how did that change the
(22:28):
way that they view the world and what is threatening
to them and what do they care about? Because I
think it's easily easy to think like Natalie doesn't care
about anything, but she does care about things. Does she
care about people in the way that we might want
to feel cared for? No, but she has other things
she cares about, which makes her to me a real person.
And although I might have different values than her, in
(22:49):
different morals, I can understand how a person like that
could come to be and so trying to do my
best to honor her because everybody deserves to have their
story told. Right, There's millions of people in the world
with all these different personalities, and I just think that's
so fascinating.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Definitely, it's the study of the human condition, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (23:11):
How you ever had any other jobs outside of industry
that have kind of helped push into that? Because I've
always thought that my time bar maid in has really
informed my work with actors. Oh, it really has.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
Wait did you say the years?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Did you say bar bar Maiding?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Behind bar was it nineteen twenty or not?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
You were just like that over here, We're just like
that bar Maids.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Well, definitely definitely helped me understand people. First of all,
I had to just get comfortable talking to people because
you're stuck you can't say that lot and a lot
of times at one of the bars I worked at
that was just a crazy toxic environment.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
I would say that to their phases. They know, we
all know.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
It was just me and sometimes a bar back for
a couple hours. But it was mostly just me and
a bar and I had regulars and they would come
in sometimes for eight hours and just tell me about
the lives and get pretty drunk, and the stories are
just flowing. And so I tried to just be curious
about people and listen to them and think about, like,
(24:16):
what does this person need, Like why are they trying
to connect with me right now? So I think bartending
helped me a lot. I've seen a lot of characters.
I've had a lot of interesting conversations. The corporation that
I worked at was really interesting, and that being in
an environment that's almost like a corporate cult, it's pretty enlightening.
I think that, Like, that's one thing that's really great
(24:37):
about being a New Yorker, I think is that we
see so many different people. Whereas La I know a
lot of people are working in the industry, but in
New York you're coming across all different kinds of people.
At all times, and so you can see a lot
of different life experiences. And I think that to be
an actor who has other interests and has friends who
do other things can really help you have a fuller
(24:58):
view of the world and be able to do justice
to different characters. So I think all of my life
experiences really have helped me for sure.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I'm going to take you on to the very exciting
realm of social media because obviously it's a bit of
a You kind of have to do it, don't you
in this industry to build your profile, and you do
it really well because it feels authentic, it's engaging in
your like Instagram page, and it kind of gives people
(25:30):
a glimpse into your life without giving too much. I
was just wondering about how you approach that kind of
thing and what you feel about it. Some people hate it,
don't they?
Speaker 4 (25:39):
And thank you for saying that.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I have been challenging myself to like I'm such a
silly and goofy person, and I think for the longest
time it was just like selfie, selfie, and I like myselfies,
but I've been trying to challenge myself to show my
personality a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
It's really well curated your stuff, thank you.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
I think it's vulnerable.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
I have a very complicated relationship with social media. That's
why I only I have lurker account on Reddit. I
have a lurker account on Twitter that I don't use.
Like I'm keeping things, but I'm not really. I'm only
really posting on Instagram. That's enough for me. I think
it's overwhelming enough. But I do think that people who
(26:20):
love shows, they want to see a little bit of
what's going on in your life or maybe how you prep.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
And I love the fan engagement.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
It makes me so happy to see the support and
excitement that everyone has about the show. And so while
I don't think it's a requirement, and I respect that
a lot of actors do not have social media, there
are tons of actors that I start to I'm like, wow,
I want to know more about them, and they are
not online, and I'm like, that's awesome, and I might
do that one day actually, But I think there's also
an option to share if you feel comfortable doing so.
(26:50):
And while I don't think it's a requirement, can be
nice to engage with people. It's I love reading the
Reddit page, the everance Reddit page. It's so fun for
most of on the subway just like look and seeing
what people like, and I think it's such an amazing tool.
But yeah, I do have a complicated relationship with it
because I think it can feel kind of exposing in
a way. And it's also so easy to just start
(27:11):
to think that what's online is real, but it's it's curated.
So for now I'm on social media and I am
enjoying sharing it and it's it, but it is It
is a strange feeling to like put something out there,
and there's this permanence about social media.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
And I think when when what was in my space
was a thing and like, oh my god, Top eight
loved it.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
When my space was a thing, it just had a
very different feel to it. And now it seems like
like everything is so seen, you know, it's not really
private anymore. So there's something interesting about that, But I
do all. I also think it's good practice because like,
as an actor, you don't have necessarily a very private life.
It's a choice, and so I think it's it's an
interesting balance that people have to strike and decide for
(27:55):
themselves what feels healthy, will feels good. We feel safe
and I'm still navigating it, but I'm enjoying being on
social media for now.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I never know how to explain this one, Emily.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
We haven't nailed We.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Haven't nailed this yet. So basically, obviously we've heard like
some great stuff about your career, but have you had
any instances where it's often an early career, where you're
just like, something's happened and you're like, I don't know
if I don't know if this is worth it, and
I don't know if I can carry on. I don't
know if I'm not bothered anymore because I've been beaten
down so much. Like, have you had an instance where
(28:41):
you've kind of gone, is it worth it? For God's sake?
Have you got one of those? I that was terrible,
You're gonna have to edit and you are different?
Speaker 3 (28:51):
One of that.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
We used to do an explanate, like a version of it,
like I would give an example of the story, but
it was too long.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
It's just this, It's great.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I think it makes sense and I'm clear on what
you're asking.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Amazing, You're fantastic.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
I think I've ever questioned whether or not it was
worth it. I am very lucky that I am the
type of actor that never had a backup plan, which
means I must be slightly delusional. Great, I think it
works out for me. I never had a backup plan.
I never thought about doing anything else. I never wanted
(29:29):
to do anything else. So for me, I've always had
this feeling of like it's got to work. It's got
to work because it's the only thing I'm willing to do.
I will say that there was a time when I
thought maybe it won't happen for me, But it wasn't
about my It was just more about like, Wow, this
is a hard industry. It's harder than I thought, it
(29:49):
takes longer than I thought. When you go to school,
they tell you like, wow, you went to this amazing
school and you're so great, and that means you're gonna work.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
It does not mean that. There are plenty of incredibly.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Talented people whose work is never going to be seen
because it just happens. And so I did have a
moment where I was terrified, where I was like, what
if I never ever ever work?
Speaker 4 (30:11):
So I had that moment.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I did have a moment where I was like I'm tired,
Like I'm exhausted, I've been trying to do this forever,
like I'm so tired. So I've had those feelings, but
I haven't ever doubted whether or not I was going
to continue.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
But I have had moments of just utter fear and
worry and exhaustion.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
For sure, How did you re up and keep going
when you felt that way?
Speaker 4 (30:38):
Taking dance class?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I'm not like a big dance class, but there's this
wonderful woman named Angela Trimburne. She teaches classes in New
York in LA And then singing with my friends Kyle
and Brittany and Derek and so making archers for fun again,
because when you're little and you play and you're imaginative,
it's so much fun. And then it becomes a job,
and it becomes a business, and then your auditioning, and
(31:01):
there's stress about bills and living in New York City
and keeping up with rent and so reconnecting to doing
it for no one and for no purpose, and then
also just kind of moving forward, taking it one day
at a time, like can't I can be someone who
can really worry about the future, and I get anxious
and so just thinking like, let me just do today
(31:21):
and I'll worry about tomorrow tomorrow, and.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
I don't have control over everything.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
But what I do have control over is maybe singing
a song or listening to an autobiography of another person
and hearing another human talk about their lives. So getting
out of my head by like getting into my body
or my art.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I would say.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
That's so kind of understated as well. I forget to
do all of those things hard, and it's important, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
It is really exciting.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Looking after your own well being so you can be
out there doing your best work. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I have a friend who's he's been writing for TV
professionally since on like all that when I was too
young to stay up watching it.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Yeah, I was, oh really yeah I Manifestation.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Yeah, totally, but he was he loves when I bring
that up. I was like, I was too, I was
too young to stay up and watch that when you
were writing on it. But anyway, he is like, recently
has been just working on development because it's a funky
time in LA and he's like, yeah, it's kind of strange,
and I'm like, hearing you talk about this is the
first time I've I've been grateful I've not been paid
(32:35):
to do it and we and it's like compulsive almost
rather than necessary for sure.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
I think you need that to do anything creative long term.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Oh yeah, yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Because like, how how else do you continue the like
the the treadmill of it.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
I have to be passionate about it.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Otherwise it's too it's too hard, there's too much such
rejection and side hustles.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
And so I always say to my students, like, if
you can do anything else, do it. You've got to
like you've got to have it inside yourself. I use
that toolboxing all the time I teach.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
I teach a conservative, Yeah, I teach.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
A conservatire and yeah, all the time. I'm there with
the toolbox phrase. And I'm going to slap myself next
time next time I use that.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
True.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
It stuck with me.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Keeping that in mind, How would you define what making
it or success means? And this could be professionally or
in life in.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
General, consistently working.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
I would say just having the privilege of being able
to continuously work through decades would be success.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
To me, that's our most common answer.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I'd say, Yeah, I love, I love that you've put
the privilege into it. Though, because we don't often get that,
and it is a privilege, isn't it? Too many people
want to.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Do this, Yeah, would be an honor.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
It's a huge privilege with that. Oh are you going?
Are you doing this? Got you on it?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Oh? Well, you go ahead.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I was just going to say with that, get the notes.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Okay, you go ahead. Okay, you try to do it
in an American accent, and I'll try to do it
in a British accent.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
We'll say wild, it's gone crazy.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Here, Hailey. I tried to do your accent home alone
the other day and it ended up sounding like you
trying to do an American accent.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
It was a disaster. So I mean, I want to
hear that you can take it away. I feel like
I've gone down an octave today. I'm a bit throaty anyway. Yes, So,
with all your kind of your definition of make it
in mind, if we were to turn this podcast into
a book and every episode, like had a chapter title
(35:06):
that sums up your career journey so far, what would
yours be, Sydney.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
What would your title be? What would we put above
your name? Take take a moment? This question is an
absolute cliches rain.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
It's a marathon, not race, or to quote finding nemo,
just keep swimming or just one step at a time.
I think that like sayings like that can be so campy,
but but it's true. But they when they're true, they're true.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
Just keep going.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Yeah, it's a cliche for a reason, right, Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Did you did you make it to the point in
John's episode where he gives this chapter title.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
That's why I was like, please, don't even worry about
it being like like it can be dot dot dot slash,
hashtag quotation finding.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Yeah, some of them are ridiculous. We had one about
pumpkin soup once. I don't even know what.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
I should have said that, So should we do?
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Should we do?
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (36:10):
It's a marathon, not a sprint. And then just keep
swimming And.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
Yeah, I like that. That's perfect.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
This is a this is a visual medium, so everyone
can keep swimming. Amazing. Can you sign off in a
specific way and if you don't want to, it's okay.
Could you could you say, yeah, do you know what
I'm gonna ask.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
The board? Was that it is that what you wanted?
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Can you say that? Or like Emily and Haley have
concluded the call, But that's yes.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Emily and Haley have concluded the call try without laughing.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Emily and Haley have concluded the call took me three takes.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
It's okay, well, it was awesome, won't We won't tell anybody.
Thank you this has been I was so excited, so
excited to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
Thank you for having me great, so much fun.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
How to Make It is recorded from a closet in
New Jersey and a basement in Leeds, United Kingdom. It's
produced by Emily Capello and Haley Muralidarn. For full length
videos of our episodes, subscribe to our YouTube channel at
how to Make It Podcast. For more adventures with Emily
and Haley, follow us on Instagram at how to Make
(37:37):
It Podcast, where you'll find clips from today's episode, many
episode clips, and more random nonsense. Like and subscribe to
our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever other fine
podcasts are found
Hi, I'm Emily and I'm Hailey. After meeting online, we
became international best friends who bonded over how hard it
is to find success in the entertainment industry.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Join us and our celebrity co authors as they help
us write the book on how to make it.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And, more importantly, uncover what making it even means?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
May that made us sound so much more serious than
we actually are?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Should we switch roles on this time? Okay, see that's
the intro.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Hi, my name is Sydney Coole Alexander, and I wanted
to be a singer and an actor when I grew up.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Ah, she made it happen any particular genre of music.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
R and B. I like R and B a lot.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Any major influences as a child that were as a
child a big Destiny's child.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
And then I think as I got older, Erica Vadu, Okay.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I didn't know if you were going to be a
musical sater kid.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Strangely enough, it never really interested.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Me how interesting that would be?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Like the past, right, the natural progression?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeah, singing and acting. Don't ask me to do them
at the same time. Separately, yes, separately only What was.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Your path into the acting then, Sydney, did you take
a quite traditional path into it?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I did, so I always knew that I wanted to
be a performer. There's like a story of meeting four
years old and seeing like a fred Astaire in Ginger
Rogers film playing on TV and dropping my toys and
like staring at the TV and turning being like, that's
what I want to do. So I don't remember choosing
it from my earliest memory. I just remember wanting to
do this. So I pretty much just joined any and
(01:54):
every extracurricular activity that I could possibly do, from dance
to chorus to a show QUI to the school place.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
And then I lived along. I'm from Chicago.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I lived in Jersey for a year, actually, then I
lived on Long Island for a while, and then I
moved to New York City when I was thirteen years old,
and I immediately went and auditioned for performing arts middle school.
So I went to this school called PPAs the Professional
Performing Arts School in the eighth grade. But it was
way too small and there was too much drama for me.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
I couldn't deal.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
And in New York City, the high school process is
like a mini college process, like you have to audition
for the schools. You have to write letters. It's crazy.
Otherwise you either have to go to your own school
or try to get into a private school, and they're
so expensive. So I needed to go to public school route.
So I auditioned for every performing arts school under the sun,
(02:48):
and I ended up getting in PPAs House, a high
school as well attached to it, and I got in
for vocal, but I didn't want to go there. Then
I got into La Guardia for acting. I didn't get
into for vocal. I sang eight No Sunshine by Bill
Weathers for an opera program. I should have known that
was not going to work, and I got it right.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
It was a brave choice, Sidney.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
I know it was bold. It was bold.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
So I decided to go to LaGuardia because it was
just obviously fantastic school and I really wanted to be
in a larger school.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
And I'm so glad that I did.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
And I ended up falling in love with acting because
I just thought it was so complicated and so hard
and I wasn't I didn't feel like I was necessarily
great at it, and I loved the challenge, and so
I studied there for four years. We had four hours
of class acting class every single day, and then as
we got older, we did plays like and senior year,
(03:42):
and then I went to Sunny Purchase and got my
BFA the conservatory there.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah, a lot of training, a lot of training hours.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, I was gonna say. I was like, I want
to be like you can tell. But then I'm like,
do people think that's not a good thing, because I
mean it as a really good thing. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I think it's a good thing. I didn't take it negatively.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I think it's the only way you can get like
really nuanced performance. I think it's a craft.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
It's really wonderful. I love being trained. I will say
that I think it does kind of start you out
later because I was auditioning when I got out of
high school, but I was in a conservatory and at
the time you really weren't allowed to audition.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Or take jobs.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So I feel like I kind of stepped out into
the world at twenty three. And they say it takes
ten years to start getting some traction, and that has
absolutely been my experience. So I think it has its
ups and downs, but I do think at the very
least taking classes and studying is really important.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I must be on a time delay because I'm going
on eleven years.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Listen, I feel you, I really do.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Now we move into a section where we tell you
two interesting facts that we found out about you on
the internet. So far, we haven't ruined anyway. So mine
is that you and I we were both at the
premiere of Shallow Tale. I want to hear about what
(05:25):
it was like shooting that movie, especially because I feel
like it's such an I loved the movie. I left
the movie and I told everyone about it and I
was like, it's one of my favorite things now. And
I was writing so furiously when I was watching it
because I was doing review that I lost two pens.
(05:46):
They like flew out of my hands like both times,
and then I was penless.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
But I loved it. I was integrated in my hand.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
No, it flew out, and then someone was like, do
you need another pen? And I was like, thank you
so much, and then like three more sentencess my anyway,
So I'd love to hear about what that was like
filming and how it because both you and britt Lauer
are in that as well, and I'm like, how do
you approach a scene? With someone that you're in such
(06:17):
different scenes within a different project.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
So Britt didn't even know I was in the film,
which is funny because I was like, maybe she put
in a word for me, you know, But I think
it just like happened, and I'm realizing that the industry
gets smaller and smaller.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yeah, longer you're in it.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
But so I booked the film and I wasn't floried
at the time with my friends, and I was so excited,
and I was really pumped to work with Brett again.
She and I are friends now and she's just such
a lovely person and an actor that I respect so much,
So I was excited to film with her again. But
I think also because we had gotten to know each
other off a seen a little bit, it was a
little bit easier to play friends.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yea.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
But I wasn't really sure because is that the film
it has such a specific tone. And when I was
when I was in the premiere, it was my first
time going to a premiere, so it was my first
time like.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Sitting in a theater and like seeing a big screen
of work I had done.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Wow, it was so much funnier than I thought I knew.
It was funny because the actors are funny and it's clear,
but it was way funnier than I thought. So it
was pretty interesting to think about it one way and
then to actually see it and for it to be
so different than I had anticipated, because I believe I
only shot over two days for that film, so I
didn't really get a full sense of the tone.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Until I saw it.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
And working with Great was wonderful, as per usual, She's
just so focused and so lovely and so humble, and
it was really cool to play two completely different characters, yeah,
than our lumin Severan's characters.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Yeah, it was a wonderful experience.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah. The scene where you guys are I think it's
in a cafe are restaurant of some sort of chatting.
The whole time, I was like, like, I'm like someone's
gonna get hurt or attacked or something like. It was.
It was very strange to see you guys be so
naturally friendly, And then I did think I wonder if
they were great friends before or they worked like they
(08:18):
knew they were both going to be on this project,
because it seems so natural as compared to what I
had seen you both in before. So that's really interesting
to hear, and it's.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
So different, even like Zoe's hair and her makeup.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, oh I love the hair.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Motalie is so yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
If and like every curl on her head is literally
every curl is curled manually. So it's just it was
different to have my hair like picked out and wild,
and it was really cool to be able to work
with her on such a different project.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
That's cool. It's interesting what you said about the tone
of it, because I find that with like a lot
of stuff I work on, I have no idea what
it's going to feel like tonally until I watch it
at all. When you're working on Severance, do you like,
obviously you've got an idea of tone now, but did
you have any idea of the tone of that to
start with?
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Strangely enough, sometimes I read a script, and I've read
hundreds and hundreds of scripts, and sometimes I read a
script and the tone isn't very clear to me, or
it takes me a wild understand it, or I have
to work through it with friends to find the tone.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
But Severance was a.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Script that just immediately made sense to me, and I
remember when I read the script, I had the same
feeling that I had when I read Handmaid's Tale where
I was like, oh, this is going to be great.
And I remember talking to my therapist about it when
I booked. He's like, don't get your hopeself though manager expectations.
I'll said, no, this is going to be great. Okay,
I know it, And so I think I really understood it.
(09:47):
I had worked a corporate job, and I felt like
I really understood Natalie because of those experiences, and as
far as just the way that the group functions, the
way that LUMAN functions as a almost like a corporate cult,
I felt like I really understood that. And I also
understood this like ecstatic union and merging that these people
(10:12):
have in common, especially the higher ups at Lumen, not
necessarily the Indians who have that in their own way.
So the tone was pretty clear to me, but I
will say it far exceeded my expectations when I saw
it for the first time.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I remember I was.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Doing a play in Colorado and we opened the show
the day that Severn's premiered, which was such a lovely
feeling to like open a show and then run home
and watch the premiere and my jaw hit the floor.
I just was amazed by the cinematography and it just
really was.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Everything I had hoped for and five hundred times.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
More amazing incredible. My question is completely away from any
of these. You were in a Capital one out of
Tyler Swift. Yes, how did this come about?
Speaker 4 (11:06):
So commercials?
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I got a commercial rep pretty soon out of school.
I have an amazing management team. I'm JA management managed
to Kobe Patrick, Keene, TC Land. They're incredible. I'm so lucky,
And so they set me up with with some agents
to meet with right after I graduated. We kind of
just tried auditioning first a little bit, then set up
(11:28):
with agency meetings. So I got a commercial agent work
with them for a while, switch commercial agencies and I
don't know, I auditioned for this commercial, and I felt
so lucky because when it comes to commercials, if you're
not like really clearly in the shot, you don't get
the residuals. So at the time, Taylor had asked for
(11:48):
me to like switch seats, and I was like yes,
because I was in the shot and that money brought
me through the band dom.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, be in the shot. Making sure you're in the shot.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
There's so much filming in New Jersey right now, like
so much. And Netflix is coming and Lionsgate is coming,
and you're gonna just start seeing me like in the
back exactly the window the restaurant scene. I'm gonna be
like my phone number, like on a good idea. That's
so interesting. When I saw I saw you had been
in a Crest commercial. Yeah, and I was like, that
(12:28):
makes sense because I like when I'm watching Severn, so
I'm like looking at your teeth.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Well that Cress commercial.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
So Natalie's smile was inspired by the Cress commercial.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Yeah, no way.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
My first day on set was that little news scene
in season one where Adam Scott Mark is watching Natalie
having a debate on the news and so that was
a quick day. My first like true like meaty day
on set was the first sporting Patrisha Arcutt and I
entered onto set, I'm ready to go, and the first
(13:02):
thing that Ben says to me is high Crest girl
like high.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
And then I'm like, oh my god, this is so strange.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
The worst things you could be known as.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
I know, I was like, I can't believe he saw
my crist commercial. But you know he loves the Knicks
and sports, so he probably has seen a lot of commercials,
and so when we were filming it, a couple of
times I was smiling because I had done that in
my audition. I had been smiling, and he was like,
I really want to see the crest smile, Like give
me your crest smile, like bigger, bigger, bigger, And so
it kind of just inspired the Natalie smile. So I'm
(13:36):
so thankful for that commercial because somehow it influenced Separates.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Which I just think is so funny. They're very different things.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You know, does anyone in your family work in dentistry?
I feel like everyone I know who has really great teeth,
they're like, my dad's a dentist. And I'm like, oh, well, okay.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
I had braces for a while. I used to have
a gap here, which I wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
I wish.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I keptic because I think those gaps are so cute.
I love to suck gelo out of it. As a kid,
it was awesome. I would like make sounds with it.
But I had braces for quite a long time.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Natalie would never have a gap in her She wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
She wouldn't. That's tree, that's tree.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
I mean, it actually leads me perfectly into my question.
And I'm gonna give background on this for a second.
So I am a massive fan of Severance, mostly because,
well not mostly for a lot of reasons. I don't
think I've mentioned this on the podcast before, but I've
had a lot of medical trauma, so I've saw I
(14:47):
have a lot of post traumatic stress disorder, and I
relate too well to the Inny Audi reintegration whole thing.
For the past nine years, it's been a daily battle
for me to try and find that middle and be
okay if maybe that doesn't fully happen. And so the
(15:09):
show to me has been like, I mean, comparatively, like
The Truman Show is one of my favorite movies for
that same reason. It's very yeah, it's very what are
we gonna do if we can't forget what's happened kind
of thing, and so I'm a huge fan of the show.
I was living in LA for ten years and the
first thing I did when I moved back to New
(15:29):
Jersey is contact someone I went to high school with
and was like, do you want to reuni? And do
you want to do it at Moutman? So we drove
out there and God bless her, she took a million
pictures of me in front of the water tower and everything.
And I want to bring up a scene from season two,
episode three. I believe it was where you are in
(15:50):
the in the scene with I can only call him milkshake.
Now I call a milkshake evil. Milkshake is my favorite.
But with Tremmell Tilman and and he's just been gifted
those images of a cure and you both have this
moment which I was watching it it was like DNA altering.
(16:12):
I was like in such awe where no one speaks
and you just have this exchange where in my mind
he's like, are we really doing this? And you have
this moment where for a second that you falter first,
And I like watched the scene and I was like,
it's so rare. I feel like these days when we're
reminded why we love art in the first place. I
(16:33):
think that's why there's so many reboots. It's like, remember
when we were you know. And so that was a
moment where I was like, this is why I love
film and TV and acting and art. And so my
question is, when you're in a scene like that, do
you know that you're in the middle of something that
(16:57):
is like gonna be super impactful and brilliant. Or are
you Is it just you're in the scene and you
do it and then afterwards maybe you reflect or you
see it on TV and you understand it then, or
is the thing where you're in the moment and you're
like this, we're about to have a like an iconic scene.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
I love that question.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
First of all, thank you for sharing that and expressing
yourself like it really touches my heart to be a
part of something that is meaningful to people, because I
think as an actor, like I'm excited to do any work,
but to do something that people respond to that touches
their heart like it's literally a dream come true, so
much so that it's almost hard to process.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Emotional, I would say.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
That I loved the scene and I felt like the
scene was special, And I also was a little nervous
going into the scene because Trammel and I had spoken
about wanting to do it in a way that wouldn't
isolate the audience necessarily, and that would be touched on
with consciousness and sensitivity. But we're also playing these characters
(18:05):
and where Natalie is, she's very empathetic. I think that's
why she's so good at manipulating people because she can
feel what people are feeling immediately, but is.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
She sympathetic is a different guest.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Yeah, And so it's interesting as an actor to be
conscious of that, but then have to put this layer
on as the character who is going to respond differently
to the material. And so in the moment, there was
so much silence, and something that I really loved is
that we were given a lot of free rein to
kind of explore that scene and bring to it what
(18:35):
we thought it needed to have, as well as amazing
directing by Ben as well. So it felt very collaborative,
which was so nice. When we did the scene, we
had tried it a bunch of different ways. But something
that I was trying to tap into is just this
fear of what's underneath coming to the surface, because Natalie
has a veneer and things stay under the surface in
(19:00):
a way. And so when Tremuel was looking at me,
and he's such an incredible actor and it was so
present and he was really like boring into my soul,
it felt like it was all bubbling up, which is
not something that Natalie is comfortable with and not something
that she can allow to happen. She has to keep
her structure, and there are certain things that she cannot
be conscious of and that she's not conscious of that
(19:21):
I'm aware of, and so which I did a bunch
of different ways, And I do remember when we did
that one take that I believe is the one that
ended up being actually in the episode. I remember something
weird happening to my face and my mouth, and I
didn't know what was happening because I think I was
in a moment with him.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
But after the scene.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Ben was like, Okay, we're done, like we got it,
and I just knew somehow that that was the take
they were going to use. That's the only way I
can describe it, as I was like, that felt like
the one. A lot of times you don't know what's
going to end up on scenes, so I did feel
that something kind of wonderful was happening between Tremel and I,
but I and I was hoping that the audience would
(20:04):
respond to that scene, but I didn't expect the reaction
that we got. And it's been kind of mind blowing
really for people to have connected to it so much.
It's been an absolute honor and a dream and I'm
so thrilled. I'm so thrilled by the reaction.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
I like sent it to I sent it to my mom.
She doesn't watch severance. I was like, look at this
and she was like, oh my god, what is like?
I don't even know what's happening. But I love and
I just like everybody, look when you can act like
that and not be speaking, I'm like, that's it. There's nothing,
(20:43):
there's something else, just absolutely incredible.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
When you're kind of accessing parts of yourself when you're
when you're acting in scenes like that and you can
almost kind of feel those involuntary things happening in your body.
Do you think you're work on stage has helped that
along or do you think that's something that you can
develop solely in screen?
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I would say absolutely.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I think that like going to conservatory, having all that training.
It's they always say it, and it was used to
annoy me, like it's a toolbox and you add to
your toolbox and it's like, oh, I hate this phrase.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
But there are like.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Tools that I maybe show for years don't think about,
or lessons that pop into my head that a teacher
something a teacher had said to me that didn't really
make sense to me at the time, but stuff somewhere
in the back of my head that suddenly makes sense
to me. So I think that that training certainly helped.
But another thing that's really big for me is that
I've been in therapy for a long time, Like I'm
(21:45):
going to group therapy tonight, and I think that understanding
my own psychology, understanding my brain going to therapy for
all of these years, and being in group as well,
watching other people process, understanding how other people work, listening
to psychology audiobooks, and just trying to understand the human
condition to the best of my ability, which is impossible
to understand, has been one of the most helpful tools
(22:07):
for me because I think it's so easy to play
caricatures or to judge characters, and as much as I
try not to judge i'm a person, sometimes it happens.
But to really try to strip out away and understand, like,
how could someone turn out like this, Why would someone
make these choices, how do they relate to people, How
did they grow up and how did that change the
(22:28):
way that they view the world and what is threatening
to them and what do they care about? Because I
think it's easily easy to think like Natalie doesn't care
about anything, but she does care about things. Does she
care about people in the way that we might want
to feel cared for? No, but she has other things
she cares about, which makes her to me a real person.
And although I might have different values than her, in
(22:49):
different morals, I can understand how a person like that
could come to be and so trying to do my
best to honor her because everybody deserves to have their
story told. Right, There's millions of people in the world
with all these different personalities, and I just think that's
so fascinating.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Definitely, it's the study of the human condition, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (23:11):
How you ever had any other jobs outside of industry
that have kind of helped push into that? Because I've
always thought that my time bar maid in has really
informed my work with actors. Oh, it really has.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
Wait did you say the years?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Did you say bar bar Maiding?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Behind bar was it nineteen twenty or not?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
You were just like that over here, We're just like
that bar Maids.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Well, definitely definitely helped me understand people. First of all,
I had to just get comfortable talking to people because
you're stuck you can't say that lot and a lot
of times at one of the bars I worked at
that was just a crazy toxic environment.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
I would say that to their phases. They know, we
all know.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
It was just me and sometimes a bar back for
a couple hours. But it was mostly just me and
a bar and I had regulars and they would come
in sometimes for eight hours and just tell me about
the lives and get pretty drunk, and the stories are
just flowing. And so I tried to just be curious
about people and listen to them and think about, like,
(24:16):
what does this person need, Like why are they trying
to connect with me right now? So I think bartending
helped me a lot. I've seen a lot of characters.
I've had a lot of interesting conversations. The corporation that
I worked at was really interesting, and that being in
an environment that's almost like a corporate cult, it's pretty enlightening.
I think that, Like, that's one thing that's really great
(24:37):
about being a New Yorker, I think is that we
see so many different people. Whereas La I know a
lot of people are working in the industry, but in
New York you're coming across all different kinds of people.
At all times, and so you can see a lot
of different life experiences. And I think that to be
an actor who has other interests and has friends who
do other things can really help you have a fuller
(24:58):
view of the world and be able to do justice
to different characters. So I think all of my life
experiences really have helped me for sure.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I'm going to take you on to the very exciting
realm of social media because obviously it's a bit of
a You kind of have to do it, don't you
in this industry to build your profile, and you do
it really well because it feels authentic, it's engaging in
your like Instagram page, and it kind of gives people
(25:30):
a glimpse into your life without giving too much. I
was just wondering about how you approach that kind of
thing and what you feel about it. Some people hate it,
don't they?
Speaker 4 (25:39):
And thank you for saying that.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I have been challenging myself to like I'm such a
silly and goofy person, and I think for the longest
time it was just like selfie, selfie, and I like myselfies,
but I've been trying to challenge myself to show my
personality a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
It's really well curated your stuff, thank you.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
I think it's vulnerable.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
I have a very complicated relationship with social media. That's
why I only I have lurker account on Reddit. I
have a lurker account on Twitter that I don't use.
Like I'm keeping things, but I'm not really. I'm only
really posting on Instagram. That's enough for me. I think
it's overwhelming enough. But I do think that people who
(26:20):
love shows, they want to see a little bit of
what's going on in your life or maybe how you prep.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
And I love the fan engagement.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
It makes me so happy to see the support and
excitement that everyone has about the show. And so while
I don't think it's a requirement, and I respect that
a lot of actors do not have social media, there
are tons of actors that I start to I'm like, wow,
I want to know more about them, and they are
not online, and I'm like, that's awesome, and I might
do that one day actually, But I think there's also
an option to share if you feel comfortable doing so.
(26:50):
And while I don't think it's a requirement, can be
nice to engage with people. It's I love reading the
Reddit page, the everance Reddit page. It's so fun for
most of on the subway just like look and seeing
what people like, and I think it's such an amazing tool.
But yeah, I do have a complicated relationship with it
because I think it can feel kind of exposing in
a way. And it's also so easy to just start
(27:11):
to think that what's online is real, but it's it's curated.
So for now I'm on social media and I am
enjoying sharing it and it's it, but it is It
is a strange feeling to like put something out there,
and there's this permanence about social media.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
And I think when when what was in my space
was a thing and like, oh my god, Top eight
loved it.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
When my space was a thing, it just had a
very different feel to it. And now it seems like
like everything is so seen, you know, it's not really
private anymore. So there's something interesting about that, But I
do all. I also think it's good practice because like,
as an actor, you don't have necessarily a very private life.
It's a choice, and so I think it's it's an
interesting balance that people have to strike and decide for
(27:55):
themselves what feels healthy, will feels good. We feel safe
and I'm still navigating it, but I'm enjoying being on
social media for now.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I never know how to explain this one, Emily.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
We haven't nailed We.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Haven't nailed this yet. So basically, obviously we've heard like
some great stuff about your career, but have you had
any instances where it's often an early career, where you're
just like, something's happened and you're like, I don't know
if I don't know if this is worth it, and
I don't know if I can carry on. I don't
know if I'm not bothered anymore because I've been beaten
down so much. Like, have you had an instance where
(28:41):
you've kind of gone, is it worth it? For God's sake?
Have you got one of those? I that was terrible,
You're gonna have to edit and you are different?
Speaker 3 (28:51):
One of that.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
We used to do an explanate, like a version of it,
like I would give an example of the story, but
it was too long.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
It's just this, It's great.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I think it makes sense and I'm clear on what
you're asking.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Amazing, You're fantastic.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
I think I've ever questioned whether or not it was
worth it. I am very lucky that I am the
type of actor that never had a backup plan, which
means I must be slightly delusional. Great, I think it
works out for me. I never had a backup plan.
I never thought about doing anything else. I never wanted
(29:29):
to do anything else. So for me, I've always had
this feeling of like it's got to work. It's got
to work because it's the only thing I'm willing to do.
I will say that there was a time when I
thought maybe it won't happen for me, But it wasn't
about my It was just more about like, Wow, this
is a hard industry. It's harder than I thought, it
(29:49):
takes longer than I thought. When you go to school,
they tell you like, wow, you went to this amazing
school and you're so great, and that means you're gonna work.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
It does not mean that. There are plenty of incredibly.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Talented people whose work is never going to be seen
because it just happens. And so I did have a
moment where I was terrified, where I was like, what
if I never ever ever work?
Speaker 4 (30:11):
So I had that moment.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I did have a moment where I was like I'm tired,
Like I'm exhausted, I've been trying to do this forever,
like I'm so tired. So I've had those feelings, but
I haven't ever doubted whether or not I was going
to continue.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
But I have had moments of just utter fear and
worry and exhaustion.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
For sure, How did you re up and keep going
when you felt that way?
Speaker 4 (30:38):
Taking dance class?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I'm not like a big dance class, but there's this
wonderful woman named Angela Trimburne. She teaches classes in New
York in LA And then singing with my friends Kyle
and Brittany and Derek and so making archers for fun again,
because when you're little and you play and you're imaginative,
it's so much fun. And then it becomes a job,
and it becomes a business, and then your auditioning, and
(31:01):
there's stress about bills and living in New York City
and keeping up with rent and so reconnecting to doing
it for no one and for no purpose, and then
also just kind of moving forward, taking it one day
at a time, like can't I can be someone who
can really worry about the future, and I get anxious
and so just thinking like, let me just do today
(31:21):
and I'll worry about tomorrow tomorrow, and.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
I don't have control over everything.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
But what I do have control over is maybe singing
a song or listening to an autobiography of another person
and hearing another human talk about their lives. So getting
out of my head by like getting into my body
or my art.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
I would say.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
That's so kind of understated as well. I forget to
do all of those things hard, and it's important, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
It is really exciting.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Looking after your own well being so you can be
out there doing your best work. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I have a friend who's he's been writing for TV
professionally since on like all that when I was too
young to stay up watching it.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Yeah, I was, oh really yeah I Manifestation.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Yeah, totally, but he was he loves when I bring
that up. I was like, I was too, I was
too young to stay up and watch that when you
were writing on it. But anyway, he is like, recently
has been just working on development because it's a funky
time in LA and he's like, yeah, it's kind of strange,
and I'm like, hearing you talk about this is the
first time I've I've been grateful I've not been paid
(32:35):
to do it and we and it's like compulsive almost
rather than necessary for sure.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
I think you need that to do anything creative long term.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Oh yeah, yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Because like, how how else do you continue the like
the the treadmill of it.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
I have to be passionate about it.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Otherwise it's too it's too hard, there's too much such
rejection and side hustles.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
And so I always say to my students, like, if
you can do anything else, do it. You've got to
like you've got to have it inside yourself. I use
that toolboxing all the time I teach.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
I teach a conservative, Yeah, I teach.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
A conservatire and yeah, all the time. I'm there with
the toolbox phrase. And I'm going to slap myself next
time next time I use that.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
True.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
It stuck with me.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Keeping that in mind, How would you define what making
it or success means? And this could be professionally or
in life in.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
General, consistently working.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
I would say just having the privilege of being able
to continuously work through decades would be success.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
To me, that's our most common answer.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I'd say, Yeah, I love, I love that you've put
the privilege into it. Though, because we don't often get that,
and it is a privilege, isn't it? Too many people
want to.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Do this, Yeah, would be an honor.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
It's a huge privilege with that. Oh are you going?
Are you doing this? Got you on it?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Oh? Well, you go ahead.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I was just going to say with that, get the notes.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Okay, you go ahead. Okay, you try to do it
in an American accent, and I'll try to do it
in a British accent.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
We'll say wild, it's gone crazy.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
Here, Hailey. I tried to do your accent home alone
the other day and it ended up sounding like you
trying to do an American accent.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
It was a disaster. So I mean, I want to
hear that you can take it away. I feel like
I've gone down an octave today. I'm a bit throaty anyway. Yes, So,
with all your kind of your definition of make it
in mind, if we were to turn this podcast into
a book and every episode, like had a chapter title
(35:06):
that sums up your career journey so far, what would
yours be, Sydney.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
What would your title be? What would we put above
your name? Take take a moment? This question is an
absolute cliches rain.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
It's a marathon, not race, or to quote finding nemo,
just keep swimming or just one step at a time.
I think that like sayings like that can be so campy,
but but it's true. But they when they're true, they're true.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
Just keep going.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
Yeah, it's a cliche for a reason, right, Yeah?
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Did you did you make it to the point in
John's episode where he gives this chapter title.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
That's why I was like, please, don't even worry about
it being like like it can be dot dot dot slash,
hashtag quotation finding.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Yeah, some of them are ridiculous. We had one about
pumpkin soup once. I don't even know what.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
I should have said that, So should we do?
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Should we do?
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (36:10):
It's a marathon, not a sprint. And then just keep
swimming And.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
Yeah, I like that. That's perfect.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
This is a this is a visual medium, so everyone
can keep swimming. Amazing. Can you sign off in a
specific way and if you don't want to, it's okay.
Could you could you say, yeah, do you know what
I'm gonna ask.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
The board? Was that it is that what you wanted?
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Can you say that? Or like Emily and Haley have
concluded the call, But that's yes.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Emily and Haley have concluded the call try without laughing.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Emily and Haley have concluded the call took me three takes.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
It's okay, well, it was awesome, won't We won't tell anybody.
Thank you this has been I was so excited, so
excited to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
Thank you for having me great, so much fun.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
How to Make It is recorded from a closet in
New Jersey and a basement in Leeds, United Kingdom. It's
produced by Emily Capello and Haley Muralidarn. For full length
videos of our episodes, subscribe to our YouTube channel at
how to Make It Podcast. For more adventures with Emily
and Haley, follow us on Instagram at how to Make
(37:37):
It Podcast, where you'll find clips from today's episode, many
episode clips, and more random nonsense. Like and subscribe to
our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever other fine
podcasts are found
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