June 3, 2026 • 40 mins
What happens when you trade the traditional "approved" career path for the unpredictable world of acting?
In this episode, we’re sitting down with Sunny and Sugenja, two hilarious and brilliant cast members from the hit Crave series LateBloomer. They take us behind the scenes of life on set, give us an exclusive sneak peek into what to expect for Season 3, and share their personal journeys into the acting world.
But more importantly, we dive deep into a conversation that hits incredibly close to home for this podcast: the reality of pursuing a creative career within the South Asian community. From navigating family expectations and dealing with the “lokki ki kehnge” (what will people say?) mindset, to finding the resilience to claim their space in the industry, Sunny and Sugenja DO NOT hold back.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the show or a creative trying to find your own voice against the grain, this episode is for you!
This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation. Make sure to check out Part 2 for the rest!
Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/VWd96Vblpcg?si=Xad1huAjoVyRwKfB
Connect:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prab.kam/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@prabkamt
In this episode, we’re sitting down with Sunny and Sugenja, two hilarious and brilliant cast members from the hit Crave series LateBloomer. They take us behind the scenes of life on set, give us an exclusive sneak peek into what to expect for Season 3, and share their personal journeys into the acting world.
But more importantly, we dive deep into a conversation that hits incredibly close to home for this podcast: the reality of pursuing a creative career within the South Asian community. From navigating family expectations and dealing with the “lokki ki kehnge” (what will people say?) mindset, to finding the resilience to claim their space in the industry, Sunny and Sugenja DO NOT hold back.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the show or a creative trying to find your own voice against the grain, this episode is for you!
This is Part 1 of a 2-part conversation. Make sure to check out Part 2 for the rest!
Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/VWd96Vblpcg?si=Xad1huAjoVyRwKfB
Connect:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prab.kam/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@prabkamt
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Well, welcome to Jipney. I feel like I have to
get everyone's names right here. So we have Sonny, Yeah, right,
so hard, it's always the hardest, and then Sougenagenya genya,
and so Sunny is convinced it's sen Yeah. God.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
He was calling me chippy for like the first two seasons,
and then at one point he was calling me like Sujenga.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I did say that.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
The only he was the only person on set was
calling me sujena and just meet turned me one day
when he heard him say, and he's like did he
just And I'm like, yes, don't correct him. It's our thing.
I really wanted to keep calling me Sugena. So I
never corrected him. But yeah, it's too genya.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
All too deep. Even if they corrected me, I couldn't
do it.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah. It was just like at that point, I was
just like, that's just who I am to him. Yeah,
So I never corrected him. And then I think at
some point he.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Was was there a thing on set where it's Swenya
versus Sougenya?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Was so.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
One of the writers came up to me in season
two and was like, hey, so is Tujenka or so
Jenya the anglicized version of your name, and I was like, oh, yeah,
it is, that's how you pronounce it in English. And
she was like, okay, well how do you pronounce it
in tumbl And I was like, it's Swenya and tamil
and and I'm like, but you don't have to call
me sena. You don't have to call me what you want.
And then the next day, literally literally the next day,
(01:38):
I show up to set and everybody comes up to
the crew, the rest of the cast. Everybody's coming up
to me and being like, why didn't you tell me?
And I was like, what are you talking about? Yeah,
and they're like your name and I'm like, what about it? Yeah,
like oh it's Swenya and I was like oh yeah,
but like and everybody just looks so deeply disturbed by
the fact that they had been calling me.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
And I remember it went around. Everyone was talking about it.
They're like, yo, you know, can you believe for a
whole year called her the wrong name? And then I'm like,
what's her name? And they're like when I'm like a word.
And then I was walking away, I'm like, what have
I been calling her?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Because I'm good.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, because I wasn't sure.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I was like, you're like, I was doing it on purpose.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yes, Then when I saw her that day, I was like, hey, Chippy,
the thing is I go.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
By both and like, is really only at home. I've
gone by to Jenny in my whole life, like I've
never even thought about it, And I think that was
the first time I've ever been asked outside my house
how do you say your name? And tummel And then
just like turned into this whole thing, like everybody at
the tell you take a stand.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It's such a testament to the set. But I feel
like I've heard so many good things. Everybody is that,
like it's just tight knit and also just so respectful
and so.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, I only got in trouble once. It was last year.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It's on you. Yeah you told that story on the
last part.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
But other than that, which, by the way, we've talked about.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I don't know why you're going on all these other
podcasts like.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Oh, I'm yeah, I'm cheating on you.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Excuse me.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I keep seeing all his podcasts. It keeps popping up
on my social media.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And I'm like, in my DMS, I'm judging the success
of the show by the quality of women that DM me.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Oh my god, you haven't been on one other woman's podcast.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, you guys need to get more in the podcast.
I feel like you two would have a really good podcast.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I mean we're doing it today.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
No, like like a reoccurring Well, I used to do
the announcements in school. In high school, I was I
was that kid. Yeah, just like on student council, like
super involved, Like I would never I would get home
at like seven pm most nice because I was involved
in some of the extracurriculars. Like this is kind of
a throwback to that. Yeah, I get to school every morning,
be like.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Good morning you to Dame.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
You know, I can see this. I could see this.
Oh you went to Notre Dame of Brampton.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I did one.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, yeah, I grew up in Brampton.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Where did you go to high school?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Turner? You did? I know you guys shout it out Turner.
In the second episode.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
A lot of people think I went to Turner and
I didn't. I didn't go to Turner.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
It's because you give Turner.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
No, I didn't go to high school. No I did.
I went to T. L. Kennedy and miss Saga.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I feel like Turner is one of those schools that's
like really popular, and I'm so used to not even
having to say the full name. I'm just like Turner,
Turner fent In. Yeah, I've never I don't think I've
ever said the full name because I just I just
expect people to everyone knows it's.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
My friends that went there when they because I did
go to Turner, I'd believe that went to Turner, so
I'd go there and visit. Yeah, but this so long
ago that Turner Fenton were still separate schools.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, there's so there are two separate schools and two
separate buildings. I've read the Lord, and then you just
have to go back and forth for classes.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
And then they merged and they became Turner fent In,
but before they were it was.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
And then there was a big war between Turner and Fenton.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Really no, no, because.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
They were like fent and Turner. Why isn't it fent
and Turner?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Right? Are you making this up?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
See, it's like I've known him for three years and
I still at some points I'm like, are you times
he is joking, Like I can't pick up on it,
so I believe like there's crazy stories and I'm like, oh.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Okay, I should introduce what you guys are here for
as well. You guys are on Late Bloomer season three. Yeah,
it's airing right now on Crave TV. Get Crave, guys,
I think.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, I feel like, just me, it's gonna get mad.
Watch Late Bloomer now on Crave A new episode drops
every Friday.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, there I part.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I love that you guys are doing single episodes a
week now. Yeah, I think that's so much better.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
We are, Yeah, we are? Or do we single episodes?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Wasn't it? Wasn't it too?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It was the season season one and two. Yeah, I
think it was two episodes every Friday. Yeah, but the
show is just so good that I can say that, right.
The show is so good that people were binging through
it really quickly, so I think just to give people
more time to process. There's just so much material in
one episode that it's like, I think we can do
single episodes. The first the first week was two episodes,
(05:49):
two episodes, but now it's going to be one episode
every week.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And I just think that I didn't know that because
I haven't caught yesterday's episodes.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So that's the thing. You don't watch yourself, right, do
you watch your I hate it.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
I absolutely hate watching myself. I think it's like what
most people don't realize is a lot of actors are introverts,
and we're just like, we're just so introspective, and for
a lot of us, most of the job is just
about storytelling. So the other part of it, which is
I think there is a level of like vanity you
have to be comfortable with in order to watch yourself
(06:20):
and not cringe. A lot of introverts have a really
hard time with that because it's like I don't want
to stare at myself. I don't want to watch myself.
I don't want to hear my voice. But that is
a big part of the craft because you have I mean,
that's how you tell where your work is, is it
landing with what you think you delivered or what you
think your performance was. And so that part of the job,
I think is always a bit of a hump. And
then of course you watch yourself a couple of times,
(06:42):
you get used to it, and then you can be like,
all right, ego, down, yeah, what landed? What worked? What
do I need to work on? But that initial exposure
to my face on a huge screen is always something
that I'd be like.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Oh, yeah, yeah, so you do watch yourself?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I do. I mean, we have to watch yourselves in ADR.
So in post production, we'll go into a sound studio
and we'll do I think it's called automated dialogue replacement.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Oh right, okay, where you go in and if that's
what yeah, man, oh, So we go.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Into a sound studio and they'll play the episode back
and if on the day when we were filming, if
audio ever got interrupted or anything like that, we'll re
record our lines and try to match the delivery of
the performance on the day. And so that for a
lot of actors is the very first time you'll see, Okay,
what was the final cut? What did the performance actually
look like? So I think for most actors going into ADR,
we're like, all right, I'm going to see myself today.
(07:31):
I'm going to see the episode or the work as
it was, as it was filmed and as it's going
to be used. And that I think we usually have
to like mentally prepare ourselves for. It's not actually when
it airs. By the time it airs, we've already seen it. Yeah,
but yeah, adr is always a bit of.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
A thing for me. And then you like you're watching
the shot. They're like, okay, you down, and you're like, no,
because I'm still watching the shot. I don't even know
the line I'm supposed to put in now right nokause.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It trips you up right because you're like you were saying, like,
ego down. It takes a couple of watches probably to
get the ego down for sure, and so you're still
in that zone and they're like, okay, well, performance on.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah, And I think me and you have had this
convo before, like we love the acting part, but it's
everything else after that I could kind of do without.
Like when we're at premieres, we go and we have
a great time. Yeah, but I can only see it
in your face and you can see it in mine.
We're both kind of like okay.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Sonny and I will be like we'll be the ones
that are like sort of hiding in the corner, and
the Susanne, the PR lady will come and find us
and she's like, we need you for an interview, Like okay.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Are you sure because someone else can go.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I think that's the part of the job that I know,
it's like Sonny's the same kind of introverts, but we're
both like we love the storytelling part of it, but
then I think we forget that there's this other side
where it's like promotion, you know, you get to get
out there, and it's like, no, I struggle with that.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
That's why I think they make us go together, because
even this year, they're like, Okay, we're doing interviews and
they're like, Yo and Funny are going together.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
That's literally what I was told too. I was like,
like Chops was like, no, They're going to be so
great together, and I'm like, yeah, sure, I'm down.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah. Yeah, he's my comfort blanket. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You can't get Yeah, you can't get one of them.
You have to get them.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
It's good because even on set when someone's like, oh,
you're acting was Swen Yeah today, Like when I know
I'm going with her, I get all excited. Yeah, it's
like the funnest time is acting with her. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
I think between Sonny and I, I mean the first
time I saw him was season one, was the first
time I met him on that first scene that we
filmed where his character Sonny is coming into the basement
and it's me just meet and a homed. We're supposed
to be like playing friends that have known each other
for years. And one of the writers came up to
me and she was like, okay, so they actually have
a friendship, Ahmed and just meet and she's like, they've
(09:41):
been friends for decades actually, so you got to give
the same vibes that you've known them for decades as well.
And that was like my first time meeting them together.
That's like jump right in. Yeah, And that was like
that's where I had to like lean on craft and
be like, all right, so this is how I simulate
that relationship. And then Sonny comes in. I'm like, who
is this guy? He's so loud, so he's I'm not
(10:01):
and I was like, I didn't know if I was
gonna like him because his character is so loud.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That yeah, and I've liked that in real life too,
but it.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Comes from such a good place that I think, and
I never would have been like, oh yeah, him and
I were going to be actual friends in real life,
but we are. We have friends in real life, and
I think it's just like one of those things where
it's like we're so opposite, but so the same. Yet
now when I have scenes with him, I don't know
about you, but for me, I'm just like, yeah, like
our friendship is actually there that we can use that to.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Inform Yeah, like I know we're gonna land it. Like
I've never read a scene where you're in it and going,
how do I land this? You and just Meet? I
know that I'm gonna land it with Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
So how much of your guys is like scenes together?
Do you guys improvise? Do you guys improvise that all
the time? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
All the time? Yeah, just Meath gives us a lot
of space to improv We'll get our sides or the
lines what a week before, Yeah, yeah, a week before,
and then sometimes on the day when we're filming, the
writers will be like, oh, we tweaked this, we tweak that.
But for the most part, it's the same.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But you never know how a scene is gonna land
until you actually get in front of the camera and
you're there with your scene partner. You're there in the environment,
and sometimes it doesn't feel right. It feels just Meet
specifically doesn't like when lines sound very dialoguey, like if
he's like it sounds like somebody wrote this and it
doesn't feel organic to the moment or the character. He'll
watch a few takes and then he gives us a
(11:18):
lot of freedom. I will say, he gives his actors
a lot of freedom, and he really trusts us that
there have been times that I'm like this doesn't feel right,
like this doesn't feel and he'll be like, okay, then
screw it, and I'll be like, what do you mean.
He'll just just just do and say what you think
is more appropriate for the moment. And then that's when
we'll just like completely open up, riff off of each
(11:38):
other and like trust the work and what we've built
over these three seasons to create an organic moment. And
then I think that's when in ADR and in POST
I feel the best when I'm like, I improved that,
we improve that, we came up with that as the
actors on the day and it made it to the
final cut because I think just meet genuinely trusts and
respects us that even when we're improving, it's not like, oh,
(11:59):
we're just like trying to loosen up where you know,
none of this is gonna get used. It can get
used if it's true and honest.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, did you guys ever have a moment where
it was like you couldn't stop laughing, Like you guys
couldn't keep the straight face because I'm thinking about the
both of you, and I'm like, yeah, I can see
that happening.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I'm always so afraid of ruining a take.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, but I think.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
In moments, I think specifically with a Hamed because he
is a comedian. Yeah, he's so good with improv and
in moments where he just like fills in I guess
dead space or goes off on whatever he feels like
is appropriate. Those are the moments where I'm like, if
I laugh though, they're not gonna be able to use this,
it is so good. So I'll just try to hold
(12:39):
it back as much as possible.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
But it is hard.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I don't think I've broken in a moment where I like,
I'm like, oh, yeah, that was good improv just for
the sake of the take. But it's really hard sometimes.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yeah, I don't think I have either. Yeah, but there's
times when I've been closed.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Me too, Me too.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
There's times when I'm watching a scene where I'm not
even in it, I'm watching it on the monitor, and
I'm like dying like this year when he smacked atwell,
uncle's butt, that's how simpid.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
That was improv.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Wouldn't let no one smack his butt? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Yeah, that was improv And that was like on his
on his first take. When he first did that, I
think everybody was like and then we were all.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Like takes of the lap.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah yeah, because after that, just like do it do that?
Speaker 3 (13:21):
That's the uncle?
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Like yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember when he did it.
I was standing by the door because we're supposed to
act like we're leaving, and I was just like, what
did he just do?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You're so scared about my uncle?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
But he's the nicest guy. I just he he. I
don't know what it is.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
He has that like dad and dad energy, that like
brown uncle where it's like he seems so stern and
so stoic, you don't know what's okay and what's not okay.
So even when I see him, I'm just like high uncle.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But like yeah, I like hee right through you. I
said down, He's like I know this guy, like he's happy,
he's sad.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
But to be honest, that's me real. He's probably just
thinking about like jah.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, like, you not concerned with me on that, but
I'm gonna have for lunch, but he's there, I behave. Yeah,
So if you ask him how I am on set,
he's probably like, oh, he's great on set because I'm
almost well behaved orund almost scared of doing something around him.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
That's why it's even funnier to me when Ahamed does
these things to him, because I'm like, how is the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
You can't. You can't be that way around the elders.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I just snap, Yeah, the elders.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That is what I like have in my head. I mean,
for sreason one, I think I had a scene with
uh with where Chippy was like swearing in front of him,
and I was like, you can't swear in front of
the elders. Yet I'm like Chippy doesn't care about that stuff,
so like I'd like get over that for myself. So yeah,
I don't know how they feel about me calling them
elders though.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well they're not spring chickens.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
No, I think like I like that it's so authentic
because it's like in real life that's how it would be.
The elders and the young kids are separate, and then
like there's always that like you you code switch when
the elders are around, oh right, yeah right, and you
change the way that you know you talk or act
or whatever. But everything on like what from what I
hear about on set just seems so authentic and like
(15:08):
you can tell like there's so much passion and like
intention and love with everything that's being made, and it's
like everyone is in on it too. Yeah right, And
I really love seeing that. And I feel like that
also resonates in terms of like the show itself. The
show itself is also I feel like so huge. It's
tackling all these topics. I look at them and I'm like, wow,
(15:29):
like I've never had somebody put this into words, yeah,
and put seen it on a screen. How has the
reception been for Late Bloomer And like, how has like
the audience been impacted by the show?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I've seen it Like after the first season, you'd get
recognized in certain spots of the city where you expect
the people to be watching Late Bloomer. It's like Rampton a, Mississauga,
certain pockets of downtown, and then season two was like
a lot more people watching it, and this year it
seemed like everyone's watching, Like I get messages every day
from people like saying, oh, man, you know and then
(16:03):
a lot of people that I know because I don't
force my friends to watch it just because that sucks.
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
It's not true.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Imagine like I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Care about my friends, so I don't care whether they
locked it or not. Yeah, like I don't care whether
they watch it or not. But they've a lot of
them started watching it and they've like caught up quick.
It's half hour episodes, yeah right, And they're all like, man,
you didn't say it was this dope or whatever, and
I'm like, well, I didn't want to have to convince
you to watch something I'm in. Yeah, jackass. But anyways,
(16:31):
it's like I feel it this year a lot more.
And I have friends that have been in shows, and
for some reason, a couple of the friends had said
the same thing. They were in shows that went on
for five six seasons, and they're like, it's season three.
Is when you start people start coming along because they're like, oh,
they're in season three, now we better catch up and
start watching this. So I see it a lot more,
and like I said, like the dms are full, It's.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I felt that way when I was watching the first
two episodes of season three, I feel like before you
could see so much much of the inspiration, right, you
see like Atlanta or like whatever else inspiration there might be. Right,
But in season three, I felt like I started really
seeing Late Bloomer as a brand in itself or just
having its own unique just like brand.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
A big part of it is having more than one identity, Yeah, exactly.
The whole premise of Late Bloomer is that you know
you're you're trying to figure out who you are. Yeah,
And I think when you have multiple layers to what
that is or who that is, it takes a long time.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I remember being a kid like seven years old and
your teacher asks you what do you want to be
when you grow up? Or like that's like a class project,
and I'm like, I don't know. And I remember growing
up always thinking it was so insane that we were
expected to know what we wanted to do for the
rest of our lives when we were eighteen, Go to
school for that for four or five years or whatever, Yeah,
(17:50):
and then be that thing for the rest of your life.
That was a decision you made when you were eighteen,
and so I mean, that's just like a snapshot of it.
But really Late Bloomers is looking at the identities being
you know, first generation Canadian Tummel, being Punjabi, and then
being an artist in a community that doesn't always feel
like that's you know, an empowered or a community that
(18:11):
doesn't always feel like it's empowering that life path. And
so it's like, yeah, we do have I think a
lot of people are more than one one thing, and
at the at the end of the day, that is
what the heart of the show is.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Yeah, I feel like that was that was that was
really well put. Yeah, but I feel like that's.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Why they send her with me, because they're like, you're
gonna go there's bock nonsense. We get some intelligence.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Yeah, They're like, the last episode you did with BROV
was just.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I talked about the fart Olympics on the last podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Oh my god, the last one was really funny with
the Hamburger. So far, season three has been so good.
I just watched the episode that aired last night that
Oh my god, that was so good. I mean, I'm
gonna spoil it. If you guys haven't seen it, please
go watch it. The third episode because I want to
talk about this, and I'm gonna talk about it. Jazzy B.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Yeah, I ked him on side. I was so passed.
I wasn't there that day, you weren't. No, I was
told that he's going to be on set, like I
think Ricky told me.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
I swear I saw a scene that you were in
with him, like in the background, not talking to him.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
But no, that was There's another guy that was part
of that that episode that the law like me like
a director guy like my body double.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Oh my god. I remember I heard his voice and
I'm like, I know that voice because they don't show
his face till the end, right, so it's just the
back of him. I heard his voice. I'm like, I
know that voice. I know that voice, like no way,
no fucking way. And then it gets to the end
and he does his like his monologue, and I'm like,
I teared up in his monologue because I feel like
Jazzy B is so big for all of us. I
(19:50):
don't know if you feel the way same way. Genuine yeah,
we genuinely. We grew up with him. He I feel like,
was one of the first major representations for both identities
the Canadian in brown and Canadian and punjumpy. Right at
the time that he was doing what he was doing, everyone,
all the elders, all of the people that wanted to
(20:12):
protect the culture, they didn't like what he was to act. Yeah,
they're like fasted tips, like what is this? Like why
is he dressed like that?
Speaker 2 (20:19):
He always had style. He's still has a style, but
I mean like he's always had it. It wasn't a
phase he came out. I'm gonna age myself here, but
he came out when I was in high school. Sounds
like in grade nine or ten when Jazzy B first,
like yeah, started hitting, and I remember it was like
a big deal because as a brown person at that point,
the songs we had were what our parents listened to.
(20:41):
And then all of a sudden, there was like a
two three year period where you started getting Bali, sagu Apatche,
Indian Jazzy B. And it's like, wow, we can play
the songs that we listened to in front of our
friends that aren't brown and not feel embarrassed because they
have like reggae beats and they have like hip hop
and them and everything. And then it was like this
(21:01):
crossover thing and you're right, the parents didn't get it
because I remember going to hall parties and like the
kids would would tell the DJ to play this, and
the parents would be like no, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
I didn't grow up listening to him. So for me,
a lot of a lot of these artists that I
think are so big in like the Punjabi community, as
you know, as someone who's not a part of the
Punjabi community, I like, I see the reception for people
inside to be like, oh my god, yeah, you know,
Like that's how I was when I first met just
meet because I was I grew up watching his videos.
I was like meeting him. I mean, I think the
(21:32):
first time I technically met him was on his Zoom
callback and I had to be like, okay, this is work.
But I'm also meeting someone that I grew up watching.
So it's like it's interesting to be on the other
side and to watch people see, you know, artists and
people that they've grown up watching.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Even like that.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
While Uncle was like, you know, yeah, I'm just to say.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I don't know I retard, you know, But I feel
like his monologue made me cheer up because it was
just one of those moments where he said he's like
you live in both worlds, and that's very much my experience,
and I feel like a lot of our experiences we
live in both worlds, and so having him there was
just insane.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, I didn't find out till the next day.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And then the yellow Hummer or whatever they that's jes beach.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
I know when I saw that car DJ used had
beaten up. In those days, it wasn't like all fun
and games.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
By the parents.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, man, my uncles beat up a couple of DJs
one time.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
When you never had that tamils don't just like just
brushing over that. I'm like, yeah, that's normal.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
You never wait, wait, you've never been to hall. It
doesn't happen anymore. No, but you've never been to all
parties where like just all hell breaks loose.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Dude, fighting is just so normal. Like the uncles get
drunk and you get drunk. That's and then they fight.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I've been telling a couple of hall parties where my
uncles have like decided it's time to throw down.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Yeah, the uncles definitely do get drunk. That's like a thing.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Yeah, but they don't fight.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
They don't fight. They don't, not not at the.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
This generation does it now, Because I'm the uncle. Now
like when me and my friends.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Go with I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
It's mostly the wives drinking and the dudes are trying
to get themb to go home.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Now that's not my experience yet, but hopefully i'll get
there's in terms of like drinking, in terms of the
drinking you guys, you know, in terms of like the dynamics. Yeah,
I'm still at the uncles are fighting when they get drunk.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Oh yeah, yeah, I'm the uncle and me and my
friends don't fight. But now it's more of a how
do we get our wives to leave on time because
they're drinking to them. I'm not married, but I've seen
some of my friends have to like drag their wives. Yeah,
you know. I was like, Yo, what did this whichop happen?
Speaker 1 (23:39):
There's a song where the lyric is, oh, here take
the take the keys to the car because I'm gonna getdrunk,
and usually he says it to his wife, and I'm like,
now the roles have revers She's like, here, take the
keys to the car.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
But those songs were so like accepted by us, but
now when you actually listen to the lyrics, it's like
it's such a terrible thing, Like he's basically telling her.
They show up at a party and he's tossing or
the keys and saying, yo, you you better get ready
to drive because I'm about to get crunk. Yeah. Yeah, right.
And then there's another one put China schedule, which means,
don't ask me what I'm up to.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Yeah, but I drink and I read my ex's anthem,
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Let me get out with great relationship.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Someone puts someone that sat down wrote this in lyrics, Yeah,
porded it. It became a song that everybody.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Sangree's a pretty crazy song. If you hear it, you're
gonna like it. It's just the message is not.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah like you's like, don't ask me, shit, I drink
a lot. That's basically what you say. And then the
funniest part is it will come on in a hall
and the husband's dancing with his wife and he's doing
the lyrics and the wife's just all happy beside him, like, yeah,
I don't ask you.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
That's like a lot of popular songs though, yeah, you know,
like a lot of popular songs, even like English songs
and things like that. You listen to lyrics for some
of these songs and you're.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Like, yeah, you like I have like a boyfriend dancing
with his girlfriend time in level with the stripper, and
it's like, I hope you're not referring nerves.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah, yeah, it's crazy. So yeah, I get that part
of the thing.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
But I know that you briefly spoke about this in
an interview that you did where you talked about how
you know, arts isn't really a new thing for South
Asian culture, right, we have so much culture and heritage
it's based on arts, but there's just just stigma around
pursuing a career in our community. The premise for why
I started Jugne as well was because Jugni means female firefly,
(25:25):
and in like soufiep and W poetry, it's just like
it's used as this literary device of this like feminine
energy that's just wandering, yes and just trying to like
figure out where they're going to land. And that's how
I felt like. I very much felt like I work
in tech, but I I'm a creative person, and my
mom's always like, why are you wasting your time on
(25:47):
all this creative stuff? Like this takes money, this takes energy,
this takes effort, and I'm like, I don't know, I
just feel pulled towards it and I feel like I
want to do it. And I know that you did
a biology and psychology degree.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're smart. I forget that.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Doesn't know.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
I know you're smart because you're smart, but I forget
that you're like book smart too.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
How did you go from that to acting? Was it
like you always knew that you were just going to
do the degree to be like I'm going to check
this off for my parents and then go into acting,
or was it that you actually possibly thought about a
career in health or science. No.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I never thought about a career in health. I was
literally just following the pipeline.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Oh so you were just a checkbox.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I don't know that I consciously thought of it as
a checkbox. I think I'm just like, you know, you're
just a kid, and everyone tells you you can be
a doctor, a lawyer, and an engineer. Yeah, and that's
the path for a successful life. But I don't think
that we always equate success with happiness or fulfillment. And
I think I got to a point in life where
I was like, Okay, I'm following this pipeline. I'm doing
(26:47):
everything that they told me to do, and I'm doing
it well, yeah, but it's taking a lot of energy.
And I don't know if it's energy because I feel
like I want to do it or because I'm just
trying to make myself feel better about doing it. And
I was over exerting myself to try to company say
for the fact that I wasn't happy and I wasn't fulfilled.
So at some point around first year university, I just
remember looking around and being like, this can't be it.
(27:09):
This can't be it, Like I just can't. I don't
know that everybody in this room is happy in terms
of like the lecture that I was in, but I'm like,
I'm not and I don't want to live this version
of reality. But if I complete this and I live
out the rest of the chapters that are lined up here,
I get nothing from this. I did the degrees and
I left, and then at the same time, I was
(27:31):
taking classes at a studio in Toronto for acting. I
was kind of like dipping my toes in the pool.
Whenever I had a light semester, I'd run to Toronto
and I'd take acting classes and then i'd go back.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
To university to McMaster, right, and I went to mac Yeah,
oh my god son, that is not a run back.
That is a that is a drive. It is a drive.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
But you know what kind of felt like refueling my
engines on a spiritual level. Yeah, when I would go
to acting classes and then that would give me the
momentum and the energy to get through that semester or
whatever have you. And then yeah, I mean I finished
my degrees and I just remember sitting there being like,
I have no intention of using any of these Yeah,
I have no intention of using them. And I literally
(28:09):
just I hung them up on a wall and I
was like, I'm not going to go work in a
lab somewhere. I'm not going to go to some professional school.
I don't care. And I'm really grateful to my parents
because I told them what I wanted to do, and
I didn't know how I was going to get there,
but I knew that I was going to try, and
they let me stay at home with them, which is
like not new for the South Asian community. That's part
(28:29):
of it. But I think also growing up first generation Canadian,
you have this idea of like, after you go to university,
you're out in the world and you have to, like,
you know, start your life. But I was like, I
can't do this path. I got to start back to Reroute.
I got to Reroute and it took some it took
some time. I went back home. I lived with my parents,
and I just like felt like the biggest I just
felt so lost. I felt so lost because I graduated
(28:52):
university and I was back at home with my parents
and I had no career goals or anything. I was
working at the mall for like I'm not going to
say how because Bramley at the body shop in Brandley.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Oh, I know where that is.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
And wait, at this point, you lived in Brampton.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I was in Brampton.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, okay, iys moved from Scarborough to Brampton.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
We went to Yeah, I grew up in Brampton, but
I was born in Scarborough, stayed there for a bit
and then moved to Brampton. But yeah, I went back
home and I was working at the body shop and
that was like such an ego check for me because
there were kids from my high school that would come through,
and like these were kids that I would help with
their homework or like kids that like I graduated as
my high school valedictorian. So I was like I was
(29:30):
the kid that everybody was like, she's gonna.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Do stuff most likely too.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah, and so like I was, I was, I was
back at the body shopping like, you know, it's two
for one body butterers today. Yeah, you want to char
like hand hand sanitizer.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
You're like, you've always needed lotion here, this one there.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
So it was like an ego chech for me to
be like I did not end up where I thought
I was going to be, and I had to be
really patient with myself and just like remind myself why
doing it. I continued to take acting classes, and then
that led to I think because I was doing it
with my whole heart, everything else fell into place. I
was working hard and I didn't know what was gonna come,
but my agent came to me. My first few auditions
(30:14):
were really great. My first audition ever in the industry
was for X Men amazing, and I was like yeah,
and I was like, you know, like you'd go to
these auditions and do these big, big scenes and then
go back and work at the body shop and then
do it all again. And I was like everything just
sort of fell into place. Slowly over time and even now,
like I'm working on my career, but I'm doing it
with my whole heart that I find stuff that comes
(30:36):
to me is aligned with what I want for my
life because I'm more clear with that now there's not that,
you know, that contradiction between what I'm doing and what
I want.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Yeah. Yeah, And I feel like it's there's a level
of maturity that you have to get to. And I'm
surprised because you said you did it like postscrad Like
I feel like you were so mature because it took
me a long time.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Yeah, to get it took me like fifteen years after
gradual finally finally admit that this sucked. Yeah, I know
that took like fifteen years. One time I was watching
you last summer I was sitting with my friend at
UFT because we just walk around UFT sometimes it's really
nice to campus and we're sitting on a bench and
it was grad time but looking at people are coming
and taking their pictures and convocation happening, and my friend's like,
(31:19):
this is so cute, man, it's so sweet, and people
have their parents and I'm like, it's over for all
these guys. What do you mean, I go, this is
their last day of not having a do shit in
their whole entire life, because tomorrow morning they'renna wake up
and their parents are like, okay, so when you getting
a job?
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Are you getting a job or you getting married? Which
one is it?
Speaker 2 (31:41):
And they're all like so happy, and I'm like, don't
be happy, guys, it's all downhill from here. I've done.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Yeah, but you know what, that's the thing. For some people,
that's the start of the dream. Even for my sister.
My older sister is a doctor, and I remember I
followed a lot of her path and I was miserable,
but she wasn't. She loved every second of it, and
even now it's like she has an exam every week.
For her. All of that was amazing and it's so
fulfilling and she loves her job. But for me, it
was like the opposite. So I think there are people
(32:08):
that genuinely love the quote unquote conventional path and the academia,
like for them, that's their purpose.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Yeah, But I think the issue comes in when people
who are inherently artistic or creative and have that as
their life path listen to outside forces and feel like
you have to squeeze yourself into this peg of like, no,
I have to have a job that's going to have
a solid nine to five every day, or it's going
to have a guaranteed paycheck. I mean, don't get me wrong,
those things are necessary. You need to know how you're
(32:35):
going to survive the Yeah, it's important. But I think
right now there's just a recorrection that I think people
are going through where they're like, yeah, you don't have
to do it that way. You can do it the
other way too, And if you're good at it and
you do it with your whole heart and you have discipline,
you can make it work.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah, and you can even take a pay cut. Like
a lot of people don't realize that a lot of
the stuff they buy.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
You don't need, especially nowadays.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Yeah, like people just be buying stuff, including me, believe
you don't need any of it. And like with acting,
like we're lucky that you can make a lot of
money doing it. But I mean sometimes in between, Jackson's
kind of to like, when we're shooting season four again,
did we get renewed? And I'm kind of cleaned me
(33:18):
out a little more expense clean.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
That's anyone on a world trip, it's like, okay, no,
because I feel like you need to have a really
strong sense of self to know that.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
And so that's why I'm surprised that you felt that
so strongly at such a young age, because it took
me such a long time to get there, and there
was this level of maturity where and I don't blame
my parents, right, because their whole world was survival, right,
So for them it was just like stability and comfort,
those are the two things you want to go for, right,
So you just want to make sure you're secure and
that you're safe and that you're comfortable. But and I
(33:53):
followed that path, and I was miserable. I was so miserable,
and I decided to pursue the creative path, which was
honestly so much harder for me, but it was so
much more fulfilling. And I didn't realize how much like
energy you get from doing things that are aligned with you.
I'm like, oh, is this how other people feel that
(34:13):
like their jobs? Right, Like you're tired, but you're happy.
I peaid on a short film set last summer because
I was just like, I want to get to I
just want to understand what like the world looks like,
and it was peeing is not for the week, like
it is hard work. It was such a long day.
It was like more than like it was a fourteen
hour day, six am to like eleven or midnight, like
(34:37):
that's that was my day. And I came home and
I was so tired, but I was so happy. Yeah,
like I was just like I fell asleep so nicely,
Like I wasn't worried, there was I wasn't ruminating on
anything like I usually do. So there's just like this
level of maturity to understand that, like, happiness doesn't always
come from stability and comfort. That's what you're taught, but
(34:58):
you do have to go inside and figure out what
you find and what energizes you.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
I think, I think when I was working, I really
and I loved my job. I loved working for the
people is a place called All Lift and Draft through
great family owned company, just beautiful people all around. So
I loved my job. And even then after a long
day of work, sometimes you'd be like, oh, man and
acting I could be on set for twelve ten, twelve
(35:24):
eleven hours and be driving home and be thinking, man,
that was so cool. That was cool. That was cool.
I wonder what they're gonna do with this. I wonder
how they're gonna cut that. And then I get home
and I'd get home from work eight hours and be
dead tired. I get home after twelve hours from set,
and I'm telling my buddy all the stories, Oh today,
this happened todight. Yeah, they're doing that. And then I'm like,
I don't clock watch when I'm there. Yeah, like it
(35:47):
doesn't matter to me how long we've been there. Yeah,
like some days do get long though.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Like you said, like, it's like this is how people
feel that like what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Yeah, literally, I mean so because you both have been there.
If there was a kid listening right now, that was
like in university sitting in their lecture hall, feeling miserable,
feeling like they don't want to do this, and then
feeling like being ashamed of moving back in with your parents.
Like what would you say?
Speaker 3 (36:12):
I would say that little voice. I think everyone has.
That little voice that tells you where you want to
be is just as valid as the outside voices that
are telling you what you should be. And it's up
to you to decide if that little voice is going
to put you on your path, or if you're going
to spend the rest of your life making it quiet.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
See sometimes I forgets when you's poetic, but then she
reminds me. Then she like, remind you.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
I spent so much of my life pushing that voice down,
and I put a lot of force on it. Like
I was a kid that was like my friends used
to make fun of me in high school because I
bring home every single one of my textbooks, my bio,
my KEM, my CAALC, everything, because they call me turtle
because I'd be conched over bringing home every single textbook
(37:02):
to relearn everything at home and get those nineties. And
I took all those tough subjects and did the announcements,
was in student council, Like I pushed hard on that voice, yeah,
because I was like I can't I can't acting. No,
you can't do acting? What's that? And I think, you know,
like information wasn't as accessible as like it is now,
(37:23):
so I'm like, how do you even do that? What's
an agent? How do you get one?
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (37:26):
But it got to a point where I was like
I can't ignore the voice anymore. Yeah, because it's so
costly and at the end of the day, like, I'm
the one that has to live this life. So when
I get to eighty or ninety and I look back,
am I gonna be happy with it? Or am I
gonna be exhausted? So that was a choice that I
made for myself. I followed that voice, and it led
(37:47):
me to a beautiful life. But it wasn't an easy path.
There were a lot of times where I looked around
and I was like, there's no one in front of me.
I don't know what I'm doing. It's twelve pm on
a Wednesday, and I have nowhere to be. All my
friends are at work. I don't know what to do.
And I think that's how I knew that was my path,
because no one else was in front of me. And
it's really scary, it's terrifying. And there's other voice too,
(38:11):
the ones that self judgment, criticism, you know, fear of failure,
all of that. But you just got to trust that
other one because it'll help you figure out your way.
And then when you get to where you're going, you'll
have moments where you're like, fuck, I'm here. You get
to it and you're just like, of course, well, yeah,
of course, but you forget how scary it was when
you were making your way.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah, and you even forget that you've gotten somewhere because
like our community, like you said, we're bad at supporting
people that want to go into the arts, like parents
saying no comfort, comfort comfort, But once you get successful
at it, anyone's kidding and everyone loves anything.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
I was keeping acting on the lolo when I first started,
like I was in some pretty pretty good projects, like
I had You're a Hand read To. I was like
I was on a good run. But I'm like, don't
tell anyone, don't tell anyone because I don't know. I
don't know. And then late Wlimor came out and it
just like spread everywhere, and then all of a sudden,
all my aunts and uncles were like talking to my
parents being like, oh she on TV, Oh she on
(39:12):
a show acting. And now I go to these I
go to the family hall parties and they're all asking
me about acting, and I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
That's just like people that want to take pictures of youth.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
They're also excited to talk about it. But it's like
when you're successful, it's not a thing. But when you're
making your way there, it's like, oh, I don't.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Know, what do you mean, You're dumb, why would you
do this?
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (39:34):
No, it's a lonely road and you have to really
hush those other voices and like trust that gut instinct.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Yeah, someone told me one time, because I'm the king
at being in the wrong place and just chilling there. Yeah,
like like you know what I mean, Like I'll I'll
know I'm in the wrong place in life, and I'll
just like spend ten years there and then just be like,
oh shit, yeah it's time leave, like like five years ago,
four years ago. If I look at my life, like
I I'm actually way happier now and I was in
(40:02):
the wrong situation, but I just stayed way too long.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
And then now with acting, it's like I feel like
I'm in the right situation and finally where I want
to be. But I'm not pursuing it as hard as
I should either.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
But that's okay, Like I have see like no judgment
because it's so easy to just be like, Okay, maybe
this is this will work. Yeah, maybe this will work,
And then the next thing you know, it's like five
ten years down the row and you're like, oh, it
didn't actually work.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Then it just needs to work once yea, and then
it works right.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Someone once told me they go, if you walked into
the wrong room, why don't you just leave? Or would
you stay there? And I'm like me, it depends on
the room and what's going on. Yeah, I'd probably end
up staying. But that after I heard that, I was
kind of like, Yo, that's such a basic thing to say, really,
but it's so true. And then now I kind of
remove myself from situations really fast. So I'd say to
(40:54):
someone who's sitting in school and wondering what they should do,
Well, welcome to Jipney. I feel like I have to
get everyone's names right here. So we have Sonny, Yeah, right,
so hard, it's always the hardest, and then Sougenagenya genya,
and so Sunny is convinced it's sen Yeah. God.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
He was calling me chippy for like the first two seasons,
and then at one point he was calling me like Sujenga.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I did say that.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
The only he was the only person on set was
calling me sujena and just meet turned me one day
when he heard him say, and he's like did he
just And I'm like, yes, don't correct him. It's our thing.
I really wanted to keep calling me Sugena. So I
never corrected him. But yeah, it's too genya.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
All too deep. Even if they corrected me, I couldn't
do it.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah. It was just like at that point, I was
just like, that's just who I am to him. Yeah,
So I never corrected him. And then I think at
some point he.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Was was there a thing on set where it's Swenya
versus Sougenya?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Was so.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
One of the writers came up to me in season
two and was like, hey, so is Tujenka or so
Jenya the anglicized version of your name, and I was like, oh, yeah,
it is, that's how you pronounce it in English. And
she was like, okay, well how do you pronounce it
in tumbl And I was like, it's Swenya and tamil
and and I'm like, but you don't have to call
me sena. You don't have to call me what you want.
And then the next day, literally literally the next day,
(01:38):
I show up to set and everybody comes up to
the crew, the rest of the cast. Everybody's coming up
to me and being like, why didn't you tell me?
And I was like, what are you talking about? Yeah,
and they're like your name and I'm like, what about it? Yeah,
like oh it's Swenya and I was like oh yeah,
but like and everybody just looks so deeply disturbed by
the fact that they had been calling me.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
And I remember it went around. Everyone was talking about it.
They're like, yo, you know, can you believe for a
whole year called her the wrong name? And then I'm like,
what's her name? And they're like when I'm like a word.
And then I was walking away, I'm like, what have
I been calling her?
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Because I'm good.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, because I wasn't sure.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I was like, you're like, I was doing it on purpose.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yes, Then when I saw her that day, I was like, hey, Chippy,
the thing is I go.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
By both and like, is really only at home. I've
gone by to Jenny in my whole life, like I've
never even thought about it, And I think that was
the first time I've ever been asked outside my house
how do you say your name? And tummel And then
just like turned into this whole thing, like everybody at
the tell you take a stand.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It's such a testament to the set. But I feel
like I've heard so many good things. Everybody is that,
like it's just tight knit and also just so respectful
and so.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, I only got in trouble once. It was last year.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It's on you. Yeah you told that story on the
last part.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
But other than that, which, by the way, we've talked about.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I don't know why you're going on all these other
podcasts like.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Oh, I'm yeah, I'm cheating on you.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Excuse me.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I keep seeing all his podcasts. It keeps popping up
on my social media.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And I'm like, in my DMS, I'm judging the success
of the show by the quality of women that DM me.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Oh my god, you haven't been on one other woman's podcast.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, you guys need to get more in the podcast.
I feel like you two would have a really good podcast.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I mean we're doing it today.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
No, like like a reoccurring Well, I used to do
the announcements in school. In high school, I was I
was that kid. Yeah, just like on student council, like
super involved, Like I would never I would get home
at like seven pm most nice because I was involved
in some of the extracurriculars. Like this is kind of
a throwback to that. Yeah, I get to school every morning,
be like.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Good morning you to Dame.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
You know, I can see this. I could see this.
Oh you went to Notre Dame of Brampton.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
I did one.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, yeah, I grew up in Brampton.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Where did you go to high school?
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Turner? You did? I know you guys shout it out Turner.
In the second episode.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
A lot of people think I went to Turner and
I didn't. I didn't go to Turner.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
It's because you give Turner.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
No, I didn't go to high school. No I did.
I went to T. L. Kennedy and miss Saga.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I feel like Turner is one of those schools that's
like really popular, and I'm so used to not even
having to say the full name. I'm just like Turner,
Turner fent In. Yeah, I've never I don't think I've
ever said the full name because I just I just
expect people to everyone knows it's.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
My friends that went there when they because I did
go to Turner, I'd believe that went to Turner, so
I'd go there and visit. Yeah, but this so long
ago that Turner Fenton were still separate schools.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Yeah, there's so there are two separate schools and two
separate buildings. I've read the Lord, and then you just
have to go back and forth for classes.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
And then they merged and they became Turner fent In,
but before they were it was.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
And then there was a big war between Turner and Fenton.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Really no, no, because.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
They were like fent and Turner. Why isn't it fent
and Turner?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Right? Are you making this up?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
See, it's like I've known him for three years and
I still at some points I'm like, are you times
he is joking, Like I can't pick up on it,
so I believe like there's crazy stories and I'm like, oh.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Okay, I should introduce what you guys are here for
as well. You guys are on Late Bloomer season three. Yeah,
it's airing right now on Crave TV. Get Crave, guys,
I think.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, I feel like, just me, it's gonna get mad.
Watch Late Bloomer now on Crave A new episode drops
every Friday.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, there I part.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I love that you guys are doing single episodes a
week now. Yeah, I think that's so much better.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
We are, Yeah, we are? Or do we single episodes?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Wasn't it? Wasn't it too?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It was the season season one and two. Yeah, I
think it was two episodes every Friday. Yeah, but the
show is just so good that I can say that, right.
The show is so good that people were binging through
it really quickly, so I think just to give people
more time to process. There's just so much material in
one episode that it's like, I think we can do
single episodes. The first the first week was two episodes,
(05:49):
two episodes, but now it's going to be one episode
every week.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And I just think that I didn't know that because
I haven't caught yesterday's episodes.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So that's the thing. You don't watch yourself, right, do
you watch your I hate it.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
I absolutely hate watching myself. I think it's like what
most people don't realize is a lot of actors are introverts,
and we're just like, we're just so introspective, and for
a lot of us, most of the job is just
about storytelling. So the other part of it, which is
I think there is a level of like vanity you
have to be comfortable with in order to watch yourself
(06:20):
and not cringe. A lot of introverts have a really
hard time with that because it's like I don't want
to stare at myself. I don't want to watch myself.
I don't want to hear my voice. But that is
a big part of the craft because you have I mean,
that's how you tell where your work is, is it
landing with what you think you delivered or what you
think your performance was. And so that part of the job,
I think is always a bit of a hump. And
then of course you watch yourself a couple of times,
(06:42):
you get used to it, and then you can be like,
all right, ego, down, yeah, what landed? What worked? What
do I need to work on? But that initial exposure
to my face on a huge screen is always something
that I'd be like.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Oh, yeah, yeah, so you do watch yourself?
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I do. I mean, we have to watch yourselves in ADR.
So in post production, we'll go into a sound studio
and we'll do I think it's called automated dialogue replacement.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Oh right, okay, where you go in and if that's
what yeah, man, oh, So we go.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Into a sound studio and they'll play the episode back
and if on the day when we were filming, if
audio ever got interrupted or anything like that, we'll re
record our lines and try to match the delivery of
the performance on the day. And so that for a
lot of actors is the very first time you'll see, Okay,
what was the final cut? What did the performance actually
look like? So I think for most actors going into ADR,
we're like, all right, I'm going to see myself today.
(07:31):
I'm going to see the episode or the work as
it was, as it was filmed and as it's going
to be used. And that I think we usually have
to like mentally prepare ourselves for. It's not actually when
it airs. By the time it airs, we've already seen it. Yeah,
but yeah, adr is always a bit of.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
A thing for me. And then you like you're watching
the shot. They're like, okay, you down, and you're like, no,
because I'm still watching the shot. I don't even know
the line I'm supposed to put in now right nokause.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It trips you up right because you're like you were saying, like,
ego down. It takes a couple of watches probably to
get the ego down for sure, and so you're still
in that zone and they're like, okay, well, performance on.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah, And I think me and you have had this
convo before, like we love the acting part, but it's
everything else after that I could kind of do without.
Like when we're at premieres, we go and we have
a great time. Yeah, but I can only see it
in your face and you can see it in mine.
We're both kind of like okay.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Sonny and I will be like we'll be the ones
that are like sort of hiding in the corner, and
the Susanne, the PR lady will come and find us
and she's like, we need you for an interview, Like okay.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Are you sure because someone else can go.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I think that's the part of the job that I know,
it's like Sonny's the same kind of introverts, but we're
both like we love the storytelling part of it, but
then I think we forget that there's this other side
where it's like promotion, you know, you get to get
out there, and it's like, no, I struggle with that.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
That's why I think they make us go together, because
even this year, they're like, Okay, we're doing interviews and
they're like, Yo and Funny are going together.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
That's literally what I was told too. I was like,
like Chops was like, no, They're going to be so
great together, and I'm like, yeah, sure, I'm down.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah. Yeah, he's my comfort blanket. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You can't get Yeah, you can't get one of them.
You have to get them.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
It's good because even on set when someone's like, oh,
you're acting was Swen Yeah today, Like when I know
I'm going with her, I get all excited. Yeah, it's
like the funnest time is acting with her. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
I think between Sonny and I, I mean the first
time I saw him was season one, was the first
time I met him on that first scene that we
filmed where his character Sonny is coming into the basement
and it's me just meet and a homed. We're supposed
to be like playing friends that have known each other
for years. And one of the writers came up to
me and she was like, okay, so they actually have
a friendship, Ahmed and just meet and she's like, they've
(09:41):
been friends for decades actually, so you got to give
the same vibes that you've known them for decades as well.
And that was like my first time meeting them together.
That's like jump right in. Yeah, And that was like
that's where I had to like lean on craft and
be like, all right, so this is how I simulate
that relationship. And then Sonny comes in. I'm like, who
is this guy? He's so loud, so he's I'm not
(10:01):
and I was like, I didn't know if I was
gonna like him because his character is so loud.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
That yeah, and I've liked that in real life too,
but it.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Comes from such a good place that I think, and
I never would have been like, oh yeah, him and
I were going to be actual friends in real life,
but we are. We have friends in real life, and
I think it's just like one of those things where
it's like we're so opposite, but so the same. Yet
now when I have scenes with him, I don't know
about you, but for me, I'm just like, yeah, like
our friendship is actually there that we can use that to.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Inform Yeah, like I know we're gonna land it. Like
I've never read a scene where you're in it and going,
how do I land this? You and just Meet? I
know that I'm gonna land it with Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
So how much of your guys is like scenes together?
Do you guys improvise? Do you guys improvise that all
the time? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
All the time? Yeah, just Meath gives us a lot
of space to improv We'll get our sides or the
lines what a week before, Yeah, yeah, a week before,
and then sometimes on the day when we're filming, the
writers will be like, oh, we tweaked this, we tweak that.
But for the most part, it's the same.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But you never know how a scene is gonna land
until you actually get in front of the camera and
you're there with your scene partner. You're there in the environment,
and sometimes it doesn't feel right. It feels just Meet
specifically doesn't like when lines sound very dialoguey, like if
he's like it sounds like somebody wrote this and it
doesn't feel organic to the moment or the character. He'll
watch a few takes and then he gives us a
(11:18):
lot of freedom. I will say, he gives his actors
a lot of freedom, and he really trusts us that
there have been times that I'm like this doesn't feel right,
like this doesn't feel and he'll be like, okay, then
screw it, and I'll be like, what do you mean.
He'll just just just do and say what you think
is more appropriate for the moment. And then that's when
we'll just like completely open up, riff off of each
(11:38):
other and like trust the work and what we've built
over these three seasons to create an organic moment. And
then I think that's when in ADR and in POST
I feel the best when I'm like, I improved that,
we improve that, we came up with that as the
actors on the day and it made it to the
final cut because I think just meet genuinely trusts and
respects us that even when we're improving, it's not like, oh,
(11:59):
we're just like trying to loosen up where you know,
none of this is gonna get used. It can get
used if it's true and honest.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Yeah, yeah, did you guys ever have a moment where
it was like you couldn't stop laughing, Like you guys
couldn't keep the straight face because I'm thinking about the
both of you, and I'm like, yeah, I can see
that happening.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I'm always so afraid of ruining a take.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, but I think.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
In moments, I think specifically with a Hamed because he
is a comedian. Yeah, he's so good with improv and
in moments where he just like fills in I guess
dead space or goes off on whatever he feels like
is appropriate. Those are the moments where I'm like, if
I laugh though, they're not gonna be able to use this,
it is so good. So I'll just try to hold
(12:39):
it back as much as possible.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
But it is hard.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I don't think I've broken in a moment where I like,
I'm like, oh, yeah, that was good improv just for
the sake of the take. But it's really hard sometimes.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yeah, I don't think I have either. Yeah, but there's
times when I've been closed.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Me too, Me too.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
There's times when I'm watching a scene where I'm not
even in it, I'm watching it on the monitor, and
I'm like dying like this year when he smacked atwell,
uncle's butt, that's how simpid.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
That was improv.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Wouldn't let no one smack his butt? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Yeah, that was improv And that was like on his
on his first take. When he first did that, I
think everybody was like and then we were all.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Like takes of the lap.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah yeah, because after that, just like do it do that?
Speaker 3 (13:21):
That's the uncle?
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Like yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember when he did it.
I was standing by the door because we're supposed to
act like we're leaving, and I was just like, what
did he just do?
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You're so scared about my uncle?
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
But he's the nicest guy. I just he he. I
don't know what it is.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
He has that like dad and dad energy, that like
brown uncle where it's like he seems so stern and
so stoic, you don't know what's okay and what's not okay.
So even when I see him, I'm just like high uncle.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But like yeah, I like hee right through you. I
said down, He's like I know this guy, like he's happy,
he's sad.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
But to be honest, that's me real. He's probably just
thinking about like jah.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, like, you not concerned with me on that, but
I'm gonna have for lunch, but he's there, I behave. Yeah,
So if you ask him how I am on set,
he's probably like, oh, he's great on set because I'm
almost well behaved orund almost scared of doing something around him.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
That's why it's even funnier to me when Ahamed does
these things to him, because I'm like, how is the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
You can't. You can't be that way around the elders.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I just snap, Yeah, the elders.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That is what I like have in my head. I mean,
for sreason one, I think I had a scene with
uh with where Chippy was like swearing in front of him,
and I was like, you can't swear in front of
the elders. Yet I'm like Chippy doesn't care about that stuff,
so like I'd like get over that for myself. So yeah,
I don't know how they feel about me calling them
elders though.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well they're not spring chickens.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
No, I think like I like that it's so authentic
because it's like in real life that's how it would be.
The elders and the young kids are separate, and then
like there's always that like you you code switch when
the elders are around, oh right, yeah right, and you
change the way that you know you talk or act
or whatever. But everything on like what from what I
hear about on set just seems so authentic and like
(15:08):
you can tell like there's so much passion and like
intention and love with everything that's being made, and it's
like everyone is in on it too. Yeah right, And
I really love seeing that. And I feel like that
also resonates in terms of like the show itself. The
show itself is also I feel like so huge. It's
tackling all these topics. I look at them and I'm like, wow,
(15:29):
like I've never had somebody put this into words, yeah,
and put seen it on a screen. How has the
reception been for Late Bloomer And like, how has like
the audience been impacted by the show?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I've seen it Like after the first season, you'd get
recognized in certain spots of the city where you expect
the people to be watching Late Bloomer. It's like Rampton a, Mississauga,
certain pockets of downtown, and then season two was like
a lot more people watching it, and this year it
seemed like everyone's watching, Like I get messages every day
from people like saying, oh, man, you know and then
(16:03):
a lot of people that I know because I don't
force my friends to watch it just because that sucks.
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
It's not true.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Imagine like I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Care about my friends, so I don't care whether they
locked it or not. Yeah, like I don't care whether
they watch it or not. But they've a lot of
them started watching it and they've like caught up quick.
It's half hour episodes, yeah right, And they're all like, man,
you didn't say it was this dope or whatever, and
I'm like, well, I didn't want to have to convince
you to watch something I'm in. Yeah, jackass. But anyways,
(16:31):
it's like I feel it this year a lot more.
And I have friends that have been in shows, and
for some reason, a couple of the friends had said
the same thing. They were in shows that went on
for five six seasons, and they're like, it's season three.
Is when you start people start coming along because they're like, oh,
they're in season three, now we better catch up and
start watching this. So I see it a lot more,
and like I said, like the dms are full, It's.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I felt that way when I was watching the first
two episodes of season three, I feel like before you
could see so much much of the inspiration, right, you
see like Atlanta or like whatever else inspiration there might be. Right,
But in season three, I felt like I started really
seeing Late Bloomer as a brand in itself or just
having its own unique just like brand.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
A big part of it is having more than one identity, Yeah, exactly.
The whole premise of Late Bloomer is that you know
you're you're trying to figure out who you are. Yeah,
And I think when you have multiple layers to what
that is or who that is, it takes a long time.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I remember being a kid like seven years old and
your teacher asks you what do you want to be
when you grow up? Or like that's like a class project,
and I'm like, I don't know. And I remember growing
up always thinking it was so insane that we were
expected to know what we wanted to do for the
rest of our lives when we were eighteen, Go to
school for that for four or five years or whatever, Yeah,
(17:50):
and then be that thing for the rest of your life.
That was a decision you made when you were eighteen,
and so I mean, that's just like a snapshot of it.
But really Late Bloomers is looking at the identities being
you know, first generation Canadian Tummel, being Punjabi, and then
being an artist in a community that doesn't always feel
like that's you know, an empowered or a community that
(18:11):
doesn't always feel like it's empowering that life path. And
so it's like, yeah, we do have I think a
lot of people are more than one one thing, and
at the at the end of the day, that is
what the heart of the show is.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Yeah, I feel like that was that was that was
really well put. Yeah, but I feel like that's.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Why they send her with me, because they're like, you're
gonna go there's bock nonsense. We get some intelligence.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Yeah, They're like, the last episode you did with BROV
was just.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I talked about the fart Olympics on the last podcast.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Oh my god, the last one was really funny with
the Hamburger. So far, season three has been so good.
I just watched the episode that aired last night that
Oh my god, that was so good. I mean, I'm
gonna spoil it. If you guys haven't seen it, please
go watch it. The third episode because I want to
talk about this, and I'm gonna talk about it. Jazzy B.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Yeah, I ked him on side. I was so passed.
I wasn't there that day, you weren't. No, I was
told that he's going to be on set, like I
think Ricky told me.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
I swear I saw a scene that you were in
with him, like in the background, not talking to him.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
But no, that was There's another guy that was part
of that that episode that the law like me like
a director guy like my body double.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Oh my god. I remember I heard his voice and
I'm like, I know that voice because they don't show
his face till the end, right, so it's just the
back of him. I heard his voice. I'm like, I
know that voice. I know that voice, like no way,
no fucking way. And then it gets to the end
and he does his like his monologue, and I'm like,
I teared up in his monologue because I feel like
Jazzy B is so big for all of us. I
(19:50):
don't know if you feel the way same way. Genuine yeah,
we genuinely. We grew up with him. He I feel like,
was one of the first major representations for both identities
the Canadian in brown and Canadian and punjumpy. Right at
the time that he was doing what he was doing, everyone,
all the elders, all of the people that wanted to
(20:12):
protect the culture, they didn't like what he was to act. Yeah,
they're like fasted tips, like what is this? Like why
is he dressed like that?
Speaker 2 (20:19):
He always had style. He's still has a style, but
I mean like he's always had it. It wasn't a
phase he came out. I'm gonna age myself here, but
he came out when I was in high school. Sounds
like in grade nine or ten when Jazzy B first,
like yeah, started hitting, and I remember it was like
a big deal because as a brown person at that point,
the songs we had were what our parents listened to.
(20:41):
And then all of a sudden, there was like a
two three year period where you started getting Bali, sagu Apatche,
Indian Jazzy B. And it's like, wow, we can play
the songs that we listened to in front of our
friends that aren't brown and not feel embarrassed because they
have like reggae beats and they have like hip hop
and them and everything. And then it was like this
(21:01):
crossover thing and you're right, the parents didn't get it
because I remember going to hall parties and like the
kids would would tell the DJ to play this, and
the parents would be like no, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
I didn't grow up listening to him. So for me,
a lot of a lot of these artists that I
think are so big in like the Punjabi community, as
you know, as someone who's not a part of the
Punjabi community, I like, I see the reception for people
inside to be like, oh my god, yeah, you know,
Like that's how I was when I first met just
meet because I was I grew up watching his videos.
I was like meeting him. I mean, I think the
(21:32):
first time I technically met him was on his Zoom
callback and I had to be like, okay, this is work.
But I'm also meeting someone that I grew up watching.
So it's like it's interesting to be on the other
side and to watch people see, you know, artists and
people that they've grown up watching.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Even like that.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
While Uncle was like, you know, yeah, I'm just to say.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I don't know I retard, you know, But I feel
like his monologue made me cheer up because it was
just one of those moments where he said he's like
you live in both worlds, and that's very much my experience,
and I feel like a lot of our experiences we
live in both worlds, and so having him there was
just insane.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, I didn't find out till the next day.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And then the yellow Hummer or whatever they that's jes beach.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
I know when I saw that car DJ used had
beaten up. In those days, it wasn't like all fun
and games.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
By the parents.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, man, my uncles beat up a couple of DJs
one time.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
When you never had that tamils don't just like just
brushing over that. I'm like, yeah, that's normal.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
You never wait, wait, you've never been to hall. It
doesn't happen anymore. No, but you've never been to all
parties where like just all hell breaks loose.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Dude, fighting is just so normal. Like the uncles get
drunk and you get drunk. That's and then they fight.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I've been telling a couple of hall parties where my
uncles have like decided it's time to throw down.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Yeah, the uncles definitely do get drunk. That's like a thing.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Yeah, but they don't fight.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
They don't fight. They don't, not not at the.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
This generation does it now, Because I'm the uncle. Now
like when me and my friends.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Go with I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
It's mostly the wives drinking and the dudes are trying
to get themb to go home.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Now that's not my experience yet, but hopefully i'll get
there's in terms of like drinking, in terms of the
drinking you guys, you know, in terms of like the dynamics. Yeah,
I'm still at the uncles are fighting when they get drunk.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Oh yeah, yeah, I'm the uncle and me and my
friends don't fight. But now it's more of a how
do we get our wives to leave on time because
they're drinking to them. I'm not married, but I've seen
some of my friends have to like drag their wives. Yeah,
you know. I was like, Yo, what did this whichop happen?
Speaker 1 (23:39):
There's a song where the lyric is, oh, here take
the take the keys to the car because I'm gonna getdrunk,
and usually he says it to his wife, and I'm like,
now the roles have revers She's like, here, take the
keys to the car.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
But those songs were so like accepted by us, but
now when you actually listen to the lyrics, it's like
it's such a terrible thing, Like he's basically telling her.
They show up at a party and he's tossing or
the keys and saying, yo, you you better get ready
to drive because I'm about to get crunk. Yeah. Yeah, right.
And then there's another one put China schedule, which means,
don't ask me what I'm up to.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Yeah, but I drink and I read my ex's anthem,
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Let me get out with great relationship.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Someone puts someone that sat down wrote this in lyrics, Yeah,
porded it. It became a song that everybody.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Sangree's a pretty crazy song. If you hear it, you're
gonna like it. It's just the message is not.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah like you's like, don't ask me, shit, I drink
a lot. That's basically what you say. And then the
funniest part is it will come on in a hall
and the husband's dancing with his wife and he's doing
the lyrics and the wife's just all happy beside him, like, yeah,
I don't ask you.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
That's like a lot of popular songs though, yeah, you know,
like a lot of popular songs, even like English songs
and things like that. You listen to lyrics for some
of these songs and you're.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Like, yeah, you like I have like a boyfriend dancing
with his girlfriend time in level with the stripper, and
it's like, I hope you're not referring nerves.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Yeah, yeah, it's crazy. So yeah, I get that part
of the thing.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
But I know that you briefly spoke about this in
an interview that you did where you talked about how
you know, arts isn't really a new thing for South
Asian culture, right, we have so much culture and heritage
it's based on arts, but there's just just stigma around
pursuing a career in our community. The premise for why
I started Jugne as well was because Jugni means female firefly,
(25:25):
and in like soufiep and W poetry, it's just like
it's used as this literary device of this like feminine
energy that's just wandering, yes and just trying to like
figure out where they're going to land. And that's how
I felt like. I very much felt like I work
in tech, but I I'm a creative person, and my
mom's always like, why are you wasting your time on
(25:47):
all this creative stuff? Like this takes money, this takes energy,
this takes effort, and I'm like, I don't know, I
just feel pulled towards it and I feel like I
want to do it. And I know that you did
a biology and psychology degree.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're smart. I forget that.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Doesn't know.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
I know you're smart because you're smart, but I forget
that you're like book smart too.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
How did you go from that to acting? Was it
like you always knew that you were just going to
do the degree to be like I'm going to check
this off for my parents and then go into acting,
or was it that you actually possibly thought about a
career in health or science. No.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I never thought about a career in health. I was
literally just following the pipeline.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Oh so you were just a checkbox.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I don't know that I consciously thought of it as
a checkbox. I think I'm just like, you know, you're
just a kid, and everyone tells you you can be
a doctor, a lawyer, and an engineer. Yeah, and that's
the path for a successful life. But I don't think
that we always equate success with happiness or fulfillment. And
I think I got to a point in life where
I was like, Okay, I'm following this pipeline. I'm doing
(26:47):
everything that they told me to do, and I'm doing
it well, yeah, but it's taking a lot of energy.
And I don't know if it's energy because I feel
like I want to do it or because I'm just
trying to make myself feel better about doing it. And
I was over exerting myself to try to company say
for the fact that I wasn't happy and I wasn't fulfilled.
So at some point around first year university, I just
remember looking around and being like, this can't be it.
(27:09):
This can't be it, Like I just can't. I don't
know that everybody in this room is happy in terms
of like the lecture that I was in, but I'm like,
I'm not and I don't want to live this version
of reality. But if I complete this and I live
out the rest of the chapters that are lined up here,
I get nothing from this. I did the degrees and
I left, and then at the same time, I was
(27:31):
taking classes at a studio in Toronto for acting. I
was kind of like dipping my toes in the pool.
Whenever I had a light semester, I'd run to Toronto
and I'd take acting classes and then i'd go back.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
To university to McMaster, right, and I went to mac Yeah,
oh my god son, that is not a run back.
That is a that is a drive. It is a drive.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
But you know what kind of felt like refueling my
engines on a spiritual level. Yeah, when I would go
to acting classes and then that would give me the
momentum and the energy to get through that semester or
whatever have you. And then yeah, I mean I finished
my degrees and I just remember sitting there being like,
I have no intention of using any of these Yeah,
I have no intention of using them. And I literally
(28:09):
just I hung them up on a wall and I
was like, I'm not going to go work in a
lab somewhere. I'm not going to go to some professional school.
I don't care. And I'm really grateful to my parents
because I told them what I wanted to do, and
I didn't know how I was going to get there,
but I knew that I was going to try, and
they let me stay at home with them, which is
like not new for the South Asian community. That's part
(28:29):
of it. But I think also growing up first generation Canadian,
you have this idea of like, after you go to university,
you're out in the world and you have to, like,
you know, start your life. But I was like, I
can't do this path. I got to start back to Reroute.
I got to Reroute and it took some it took
some time. I went back home. I lived with my parents,
and I just like felt like the biggest I just
felt so lost. I felt so lost because I graduated
(28:52):
university and I was back at home with my parents
and I had no career goals or anything. I was
working at the mall for like I'm not going to
say how because Bramley at the body shop in Brandley.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Oh, I know where that is.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
And wait, at this point, you lived in Brampton.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I was in Brampton.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Yeah, okay, iys moved from Scarborough to Brampton.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
We went to Yeah, I grew up in Brampton, but
I was born in Scarborough, stayed there for a bit
and then moved to Brampton. But yeah, I went back
home and I was working at the body shop and
that was like such an ego check for me because
there were kids from my high school that would come through,
and like these were kids that I would help with
their homework or like kids that like I graduated as
my high school valedictorian. So I was like I was
(29:30):
the kid that everybody was like, she's gonna.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Do stuff most likely too.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah, and so like I was, I was, I was
back at the body shopping like, you know, it's two
for one body butterers today. Yeah, you want to char
like hand hand sanitizer.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
You're like, you've always needed lotion here, this one there.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
So it was like an ego chech for me to
be like I did not end up where I thought
I was going to be, and I had to be
really patient with myself and just like remind myself why
doing it. I continued to take acting classes, and then
that led to I think because I was doing it
with my whole heart, everything else fell into place. I
was working hard and I didn't know what was gonna come,
but my agent came to me. My first few auditions
(30:14):
were really great. My first audition ever in the industry
was for X Men amazing, and I was like yeah,
and I was like, you know, like you'd go to
these auditions and do these big, big scenes and then
go back and work at the body shop and then
do it all again. And I was like everything just
sort of fell into place. Slowly over time and even now,
like I'm working on my career, but I'm doing it
with my whole heart that I find stuff that comes
(30:36):
to me is aligned with what I want for my
life because I'm more clear with that now there's not that,
you know, that contradiction between what I'm doing and what
I want.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Yeah. Yeah, And I feel like it's there's a level
of maturity that you have to get to. And I'm
surprised because you said you did it like postscrad Like
I feel like you were so mature because it took
me a long time.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Yeah, to get it took me like fifteen years after
gradual finally finally admit that this sucked. Yeah, I know
that took like fifteen years. One time I was watching
you last summer I was sitting with my friend at
UFT because we just walk around UFT sometimes it's really
nice to campus and we're sitting on a bench and
it was grad time but looking at people are coming
and taking their pictures and convocation happening, and my friend's like,
(31:19):
this is so cute, man, it's so sweet, and people
have their parents and I'm like, it's over for all
these guys. What do you mean, I go, this is
their last day of not having a do shit in
their whole entire life, because tomorrow morning they'renna wake up
and their parents are like, okay, so when you getting
a job?
Speaker 1 (31:38):
Are you getting a job or you getting married? Which
one is it?
Speaker 2 (31:41):
And they're all like so happy, and I'm like, don't
be happy, guys, it's all downhill from here. I've done.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Yeah, but you know what, that's the thing. For some people,
that's the start of the dream. Even for my sister.
My older sister is a doctor, and I remember I
followed a lot of her path and I was miserable,
but she wasn't. She loved every second of it, and
even now it's like she has an exam every week.
For her. All of that was amazing and it's so
fulfilling and she loves her job. But for me, it
was like the opposite. So I think there are people
(32:08):
that genuinely love the quote unquote conventional path and the academia,
like for them, that's their purpose.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Yeah, But I think the issue comes in when people
who are inherently artistic or creative and have that as
their life path listen to outside forces and feel like
you have to squeeze yourself into this peg of like, no,
I have to have a job that's going to have
a solid nine to five every day, or it's going
to have a guaranteed paycheck. I mean, don't get me wrong,
those things are necessary. You need to know how you're
(32:35):
going to survive the Yeah, it's important. But I think
right now there's just a recorrection that I think people
are going through where they're like, yeah, you don't have
to do it that way. You can do it the
other way too, And if you're good at it and
you do it with your whole heart and you have discipline,
you can make it work.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Yeah, and you can even take a pay cut. Like
a lot of people don't realize that a lot of
the stuff they buy.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
You don't need, especially nowadays.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Yeah, like people just be buying stuff, including me, believe
you don't need any of it. And like with acting,
like we're lucky that you can make a lot of
money doing it. But I mean sometimes in between, Jackson's
kind of to like, when we're shooting season four again,
did we get renewed? And I'm kind of cleaned me
(33:18):
out a little more expense clean.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
That's anyone on a world trip, it's like, okay, no,
because I feel like you need to have a really
strong sense of self to know that.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
And so that's why I'm surprised that you felt that
so strongly at such a young age, because it took
me such a long time to get there, and there
was this level of maturity where and I don't blame
my parents, right, because their whole world was survival, right,
So for them it was just like stability and comfort,
those are the two things you want to go for, right,
So you just want to make sure you're secure and
that you're safe and that you're comfortable. But and I
(33:53):
followed that path, and I was miserable. I was so miserable,
and I decided to pursue the creative path, which was
honestly so much harder for me, but it was so
much more fulfilling. And I didn't realize how much like
energy you get from doing things that are aligned with you.
I'm like, oh, is this how other people feel that
(34:13):
like their jobs? Right, Like you're tired, but you're happy.
I peaid on a short film set last summer because
I was just like, I want to get to I
just want to understand what like the world looks like,
and it was peeing is not for the week, like
it is hard work. It was such a long day.
It was like more than like it was a fourteen
hour day, six am to like eleven or midnight, like
(34:37):
that's that was my day. And I came home and
I was so tired, but I was so happy. Yeah,
like I was just like I fell asleep so nicely,
Like I wasn't worried, there was I wasn't ruminating on
anything like I usually do. So there's just like this
level of maturity to understand that, like, happiness doesn't always
come from stability and comfort. That's what you're taught, but
(34:58):
you do have to go inside and figure out what
you find and what energizes you.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
I think, I think when I was working, I really
and I loved my job. I loved working for the
people is a place called All Lift and Draft through
great family owned company, just beautiful people all around. So
I loved my job. And even then after a long
day of work, sometimes you'd be like, oh, man and
acting I could be on set for twelve ten, twelve
(35:24):
eleven hours and be driving home and be thinking, man,
that was so cool. That was cool. That was cool.
I wonder what they're gonna do with this. I wonder
how they're gonna cut that. And then I get home
and I'd get home from work eight hours and be
dead tired. I get home after twelve hours from set,
and I'm telling my buddy all the stories, Oh today,
this happened todight. Yeah, they're doing that. And then I'm like,
I don't clock watch when I'm there. Yeah, like it
(35:47):
doesn't matter to me how long we've been there. Yeah,
like some days do get long though.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Like you said, like, it's like this is how people
feel that like what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Yeah, literally, I mean so because you both have been there.
If there was a kid listening right now, that was
like in university sitting in their lecture hall, feeling miserable,
feeling like they don't want to do this, and then
feeling like being ashamed of moving back in with your parents.
Like what would you say?
Speaker 3 (36:12):
I would say that little voice. I think everyone has.
That little voice that tells you where you want to
be is just as valid as the outside voices that
are telling you what you should be. And it's up
to you to decide if that little voice is going
to put you on your path, or if you're going
to spend the rest of your life making it quiet.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
See sometimes I forgets when you's poetic, but then she
reminds me. Then she like, remind you.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
I spent so much of my life pushing that voice down,
and I put a lot of force on it. Like
I was a kid that was like my friends used
to make fun of me in high school because I
bring home every single one of my textbooks, my bio,
my KEM, my CAALC, everything, because they call me turtle
because I'd be conched over bringing home every single textbook
(37:02):
to relearn everything at home and get those nineties. And
I took all those tough subjects and did the announcements,
was in student council, Like I pushed hard on that voice, yeah,
because I was like I can't I can't acting. No,
you can't do acting? What's that? And I think, you know,
like information wasn't as accessible as like it is now,
(37:23):
so I'm like, how do you even do that? What's
an agent? How do you get one?
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (37:26):
But it got to a point where I was like
I can't ignore the voice anymore. Yeah, because it's so
costly and at the end of the day, like, I'm
the one that has to live this life. So when
I get to eighty or ninety and I look back,
am I gonna be happy with it? Or am I
gonna be exhausted? So that was a choice that I
made for myself. I followed that voice, and it led
(37:47):
me to a beautiful life. But it wasn't an easy path.
There were a lot of times where I looked around
and I was like, there's no one in front of me.
I don't know what I'm doing. It's twelve pm on
a Wednesday, and I have nowhere to be. All my
friends are at work. I don't know what to do.
And I think that's how I knew that was my path,
because no one else was in front of me. And
it's really scary, it's terrifying. And there's other voice too,
(38:11):
the ones that self judgment, criticism, you know, fear of failure,
all of that. But you just got to trust that
other one because it'll help you figure out your way.
And then when you get to where you're going, you'll
have moments where you're like, fuck, I'm here. You get
to it and you're just like, of course, well, yeah,
of course, but you forget how scary it was when
you were making your way.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah, and you even forget that you've gotten somewhere because
like our community, like you said, we're bad at supporting
people that want to go into the arts, like parents
saying no comfort, comfort comfort, But once you get successful
at it, anyone's kidding and everyone loves anything.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
I was keeping acting on the lolo when I first started,
like I was in some pretty pretty good projects, like
I had You're a Hand read To. I was like
I was on a good run. But I'm like, don't
tell anyone, don't tell anyone because I don't know. I
don't know. And then late Wlimor came out and it
just like spread everywhere, and then all of a sudden,
all my aunts and uncles were like talking to my
parents being like, oh she on TV, Oh she on
(39:12):
a show acting. And now I go to these I
go to the family hall parties and they're all asking
me about acting, and I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
That's just like people that want to take pictures of youth.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
They're also excited to talk about it. But it's like
when you're successful, it's not a thing. But when you're
making your way there, it's like, oh, I don't.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Know, what do you mean, You're dumb, why would you
do this?
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (39:34):
No, it's a lonely road and you have to really
hush those other voices and like trust that gut instinct.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Yeah, someone told me one time, because I'm the king
at being in the wrong place and just chilling there. Yeah,
like like you know what I mean, Like I'll I'll
know I'm in the wrong place in life, and I'll
just like spend ten years there and then just be like,
oh shit, yeah it's time leave, like like five years ago,
four years ago. If I look at my life, like
I I'm actually way happier now and I was in
(40:02):
the wrong situation, but I just stayed way too long.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
And then now with acting, it's like I feel like
I'm in the right situation and finally where I want
to be. But I'm not pursuing it as hard as
I should either.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
But that's okay, Like I have see like no judgment
because it's so easy to just be like, Okay, maybe
this is this will work. Yeah, maybe this will work,
And then the next thing you know, it's like five
ten years down the row and you're like, oh, it
didn't actually work.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Then it just needs to work once yea, and then
it works right.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Someone once told me they go, if you walked into
the wrong room, why don't you just leave? Or would
you stay there? And I'm like me, it depends on
the room and what's going on. Yeah, I'd probably end
up staying. But that after I heard that, I was
kind of like, Yo, that's such a basic thing to say, really,
but it's so true. And then now I kind of
remove myself from situations really fast. So I'd say to
(40:54):
someone who's sitting in school and wondering what they should do,
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Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.