"Four Seasons Ambassador" (w/ Natasha Rothwell)

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Speaker 1 look man

Speaker 1 oh i see my eye oh my bow and look over there wow is that culture yes goodness wow last culture is

Speaker 1 ding dong last culture is calling a day of days a day of days a day that feels right in the heart the soul the mind the body you know what i was thinking this morning i was like this is someone we've actually wanted on this podcast since since we started it

Speaker 1 and by the way we should say, shout out to anyone who voted for us for podcast of the year, which we won for a second time. Yes.
And it's nine years in.

Speaker 1 And I'm just thinking about like, I'm, I know our guest is here today, and it's someone we've looked up to since, but even before we started the podcast, and all these years later, it feels like a wonderful little moment.

Speaker 1 Yeah. So thank you all for that.
And also just to have our guest in this like star-ascending moment. It's just like, it's feeling.
I'm a little emotion. I'm a little emotion.

Speaker 1 This is someone who and wonderful vulture piece on our guest.

Speaker 1 And it just made me realize what we've known along, which is, oh, this is someone who both is someone and plays people that you just root for.

Speaker 1 We just love you so much. I know.

Speaker 1 So mutual. And this is like a decade in the making.
No, seriously.

Speaker 1 And like, and so basically we're about to bring our guest in, but just know, like, I mean, obviously the white lotus, insecure, how to die alone. I mean, there's so much to talk about.

Speaker 1 But for me, I was literally when we finally met our, I finally like really in person met our guest, which feels crazy, like the other night after the Oscars.

Speaker 1 And I was like, you know, you to me will always be that flight attendant. It's my UCB basement.
If you know, you know, on mod night. Not even UCB.
This is a UCB pitisen.

Speaker 1 This is a story pirate legend. And we got three.

Speaker 1 Three pitisans in the room. Three pitizens in the room is that title melody.
No, oh my god.

Speaker 1 I'll jump. Wait, we got a burger.
Let's go. Let's go.
Everyone, welcome to your ears. Natasha Rothwell.

Speaker 1 Thank you for having me. Thank you for coming on.
Oh, my God. You guys are making me emo.
Sorry,

Speaker 1 it's an emotional moment. But that's like so special.
You know what I mean? To just have those people that are from way back that you knew were special then pop off.

Speaker 1 Like, and that happens all the time now. I feel.
I feel that about you two. Are you kidding me? What, Alex? Like, I think game recognized game.

Speaker 1 And like, even like on our come up, watching the two of you work,

Speaker 1 like, it's just, you know, you know. But you know that I was going through the whole process of screen testing for SNL, then being offered to write.
And I remember reaching out to you and being like,

Speaker 1 what do you think I should do? Because I just respected you to the fucking mountains.

Speaker 1 And at that point, you were already insecure. Like, Kelly was already like the one.
And I was just like, Natasha such a unique journey, everyone has a unique journey there.

Speaker 1 And you had a very unique journey. And I was just like, I need to know.

Speaker 1 Because at that point, I'm going to say, like, you could count on like one or two hands the number of writers of color, let's say, not to put it on those, those lines, but like, it was like a meaningful thing to reach out to you.

Speaker 1 Yeah. I remember when you did.
And I remember saying that, like, it was hard for me, but like, the juice was worth the squeeze, right?

Speaker 1 Because it's just like going through that, you know, iron sharpens iron. You become better at what you do.
And it wasn't perfect. Yeah.
And I have notes.

Speaker 1 Yes. Yes.
We all do.

Speaker 1 But I think ultimately it was the stamp in my passport, you know, professionally that I needed to open some doors that I think I would have eventually opened, but maybe take a little longer to do.

Speaker 1 So yeah. Totally.
I mean, does being back in New York make you reflect on this? Obviously, right?

Speaker 1 Yes. Yeah.
Like it's in like from the pit days to the UCB days to the SNLA. Like

Speaker 1 on every level. On every level.
Like, you know, like in a car where it says like, you know, things in this mirror are closer than they appear.

Speaker 1 Like for me, that's like literally being so broke that I was like picking up Metro cards off of the ground at the train stations on my way home to check them the next morning.

Speaker 1 And so like having calling my mom in fucking South Jersey to order me pizza in Brooklyn from Jersey because I didn't have anything in the bank. And it's just you had Jersey pizza.
I had Jersey pizza.

Speaker 1 That's not not bad. Which is a better pizza than a lot of New York pizza.
As a Long Islander, I can say this too. When you're outside of the city, they take their time on the pizza.

Speaker 1 Right, right, right. That's actually real culture number 46.
When they're outside of the city, they take their time on the pizza.

Speaker 1 That's true. Yeah.
But no, I'm full of gratitude. And even just writing here today,

Speaker 1 so much of my experience in New York was

Speaker 1 based on where I was, my social, socioeconomic level. And I feel like for every different stratosphere, there's a different version of the city.

Speaker 1 she's in a version of the city that I'm getting to know now, it's different than the one that I knew, but I miss the one that I used to know, you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 Yeah, I miss that kind of like hustle and that grind. I was, I was never more poor

Speaker 1 than I was when I was grinding in comedy, but I was so happy. Yeah, you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 Like the early mornings for like a story pirate show, like made like an early call time scene. Are you doing tech for your mod show at like 3 a.m., you know, and paying for it?

Speaker 1 talk about notes

Speaker 1 this again is the old ucb

Speaker 1 but no but i mean like it's really something like when i remember i had taken like a long time away from new york probably because of the pandemic obviously and then i got back and my immediate instinct it was raining a little bit i was like i'm still gonna take a walk

Speaker 1 and i did have like a i don't know why i'm frightened moment

Speaker 1 looking around sort of really getting tearful because we did like this is this is really where we grew up oh yeah when people ask me because i'm an air force brat and i grew up all over i was just like but i became an adult in new york so like i found out my voice and you know in new york i like made mistakes in new york like new york truly raised me and so even though i didn't live here super long it was only eight years but Even just driving here, I was just like looking at cars like, I remember crying on that corner.

Speaker 1 I remember, remember that bagel shop, that ATM lets you take it out. You can get a five out.

Speaker 1 Oh, wow. Tell us about about that.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I found one. So it's like all of those things.
And you're just like, oh, I'm so grateful to have had that.

Speaker 1 And it feels like a collective experience, you know, like no one quite knows what we went through. And the improv industrial complex is like that, that, like, the

Speaker 1 pipeline from improv to TV, like, it's not what it used to be, you know, like they don't have it like we did.

Speaker 1 Like, there was a time of being in New York or LA doing comedy in the way that that we did, where it felt like so cool anytime.

Speaker 1 And it felt kind of frequent, I'll say is the word, but like it felt like there was a regularity and like, oh, this person got raptured up into the show business. Yes, yes.

Speaker 1 And now I feel like, I feel like I'm not like my ear is into the ground, maybe, but like, I don't know, I don't know like of that same sort of like machinery that's happening. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I mean, I don't either, but. the scuttle butt

Speaker 1 is that it's maybe not the same as it used to be. And I think that like the

Speaker 1 beauty of what was, it was, you know, like, if you liken, you know, UCB to like Catholicism and then the pit to like, you know,

Speaker 1 Protestants and dying. Like, I felt like we were all worshiping the God of comedy.
100%. Wow.

Speaker 1 You know what I mean? And it's just like when you go through that kind of like radicalization, it's just like you see someone else and you're just like, zip, you know? Yeah, 100%.

Speaker 1 I'm about to draw practice. Veggie Veggie Tales, that's right.

Speaker 1 Hilarious. I'm about to get a little niche, but like when you were, because I remember thinking, because we were pit people because we weren't embraced by UCB at the very start.

Speaker 1 Which actually took us a little bit. Same.
Is that the same with you? You were like, because you were one of the queens of the pit.

Speaker 1 And we remember thinking of you being like, well, Natasha's here at the pit putting in the hard yards. And like, that means that like we'll get to UCB.
Natasha's on the poster.

Speaker 1 Like, these are our aligns. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 Well, I just remember I had come to New York with six years of main stage experience in DC, like Washington improv theater, and tried to jump the line at UCB of just like, I've been doing this for like professionally six years and I've been teaching.

Speaker 1 And they're like, no, no, no, no, no, take a number. And I was like, okay.
Yeah. And then I went to the pit and Ali was just like, oh, like you can teach.
Like, and so I was able to start teaching.

Speaker 1 And then I auditioned and got on a team. And so bless the pit then for like, yeah, they're also where they held the showcase for SNL when I auditioned.
It was at the pit. Oh, that was a famous night.

Speaker 1 Yeah, that was the famous night. That was a big night.
And so it was just, I think the pit allowed folks to be a little bit more,

Speaker 1 yeah, it's less rigid than the apostles.

Speaker 1 I remember also feeling like, yeah, than the Catholics. I remember at the time, like, there was something really performative about that space.
Like, cause, cause you're a performer.

Speaker 1 Like, you're a real performer. And I remember thinking, I think we identified that as that too, maybe because UCB felt like very, it felt

Speaker 1 cerebral you know what i mean like you had to learn a language that like those guys were speaking yeah but at the pit it felt like you could maybe it was just like the percentium the literal stage

Speaker 1 it felt like it was welcoming a different kind of performer and i kind of felt enthusiastic about that opportunity no i loved the pit stage and it was so much fun also to meet the folks that were like devoutly pit yes and would never go to UCB.

Speaker 1 I know it was so fun. And I just felt like an interloper where I'm just like, nah, I got to go to ECB later, but I'm going to do this show now.
Which, like, that's the best, though. That's my best.

Speaker 1 And, like, shout out to the Magnet people. Like, Magnet and Baptist.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Magnet is still such a wonderful vibe.
The Baptists. Yeah, they were Baptists.
Listen, we have figured it out.

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 Magnet were the Baptists.

Speaker 1 By the end of this episode, we'll figure out what the Groundlings is, even though we're not LA people, but we're going to figure it out. And Second City and all that stuff.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 But like, I just remember seeing you at the pit doing the flight attendant. And I was just like, okay, like, this is someone who this, she's going to go the fucking distance.
You know what I mean?

Speaker 1 Like, like, I think you are one of those people who we just like modeled ourselves after. Anytime there was a story pirate story that, like, there would be a link to every story, every stock story.

Speaker 1 I feel like, were you in like emergency poncho? You were, you did, sorry. It was, it was like

Speaker 1 a story pirate sketch called emergency poncho about a kid that gets a poncho put on him at a meds game because it starts raining and it became musical. And you were in the tutorial for it.

Speaker 1 And that was one of the ones we all have to do.

Speaker 1 I'm actually dead. I'm glad about that.

Speaker 1 We really are like... Emergency poncho.
Emergency poncho.

Speaker 1 It's a garbage bag. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, wow. See, that's like, I remember like the story parts of it all really pushing me forward because I'm like, yes, the community is what's important.

Speaker 1 And that, that remains true. And I feel like something about you is

Speaker 1 you're always in an amazing ensemble and you always put together an amazing ensemble. You just won the Indie Spirit Award for Ensemble in a new series and with our pal Conrad.

Speaker 1 And, you know, even that connection too, like, you know, Fire Island being this great ensemble. And I see you in obviously insecure and now famously two seasons of the white lotus.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 And you're in that family. That's obviously not an accident.
It's like you're not like booking purposefully these things, but it seems to follow you. Yeah, I'm always drawn to the collaborative arts.

Speaker 1 I think that's why I never, like, I have deference for stand-up, but it's never been my bag because I don't want to fail alone. Yes.
Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 To me, it's just like, can we get a team together to believe in one thing? And even if we lose, it's together. So there's still a win.

Speaker 1 And I also find that

Speaker 1 in, and again, like, it does feel like it's chosen me more than I've chosen it, but I feel like of the ensembles that have chosen me, my entry point is always sort of with a character that's kind of carrying sort of like the torch of empathy.

Speaker 1 And I think that's just innate in me. That's how I move through the world.
And so, whether nature or nurture, I'm always drawn to parts and characters that bring humanity to people who look like me.

Speaker 1 You know what I mean? Like, you know, I don't consider it like an obligation or sort of like a burden to me. I get excited by that opportunity.

Speaker 1 And that's like when I sat down with Mike for White Lotus season one,

Speaker 1 I had reservations because at that point, he hadn't had the scripts written,

Speaker 1 but I loved him. I'm talking like love

Speaker 1 him.

Speaker 1 I'm from freaks and geeks, enlightened all the way through, you know, good girl, everything.

Speaker 1 But then he was like, it's so good, right?

Speaker 1 But then he hit, then my, my team's just like, okay. And I was like, well, how many in the cast are people of color? And it was just like, it's you.

Speaker 1 And then there's one other girl, but like, mostly it's like you. And so I'm in a servile position.

Speaker 1 And I was like, that didn't like make me want to, you know, say no. I was just like, is he going to collaborate with me to help sort of like discover this character? And we found that empathy.

Speaker 1 We found that like heart in the new heart of who she was. So yeah, for me, characters and empathy are always sort of like the true north.

Speaker 1 And then he kind of has this empathetic sort of instinct with you where it's like he went page by page with Belinda and it's like, okay, like, what's the deal here? Like,

Speaker 1 and you get to be like, oh, I want her to wave hello at this family that's at the resort. Like those those moments, that moment really stuck out to me.

Speaker 1 And then reading this, this piece and seeing all these interviews that you're doing, talk about that specific thing.

Speaker 1 I'm like, this is, this is the importance of like, of Belinda as a character, of you as an actor. And it's important of directors to know who they have and how to utilize them.

Speaker 1 Like we have the same hyphenance, Mike and I. We're both actors.
We're both writers. We're both directors.
And so. As writers, we were able to sit down and geek out.

Speaker 1 And he's so aware that he's not a black woman, right? And so he's just like, well, what are the ways that we can add that authenticity?

Speaker 1 And I tell him all the time, I was just like, I wish more directors took, you know, a page from that book of being able to know,

Speaker 1 I have a deficit, but this character or this actor who's playing this character might be a resource to me, but I have to humble myself to do that.

Speaker 1 And Mike is one of the kindest, most humble, like gentle, sweet souls that I've ever met. And so for him to do that with me season one, and I was fucking nobody season one, you know, like,

Speaker 1 I mean,

Speaker 1 I mean, Kelly was a thing, but also it was just like, well, anyway, maybe. Sure, sure, sure, sure.

Speaker 1 I should say I felt like,

Speaker 1 why was he listening to me? Yeah, it would be hard to walk into an ensemble cast like that and be like, yep, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For anyone. For anyone.

Speaker 1 And so like, I felt so like ahead of my skis, but he was so. excited and then when you know i was asked back for season three he hooked me up

Speaker 1 when we gonna zoom i I was like, I got you, boo.

Speaker 1 And so we like, did we trapped it up again? Yeah. One of my favorite things about this season, the characterization of Belinda, is it does feel like there's a little bit more you in there.

Speaker 1 Like some of my favorite moments are when you're in your place of like attitude is gratitude and then you, and then a lizard will jump out and it will be a full shutdown.

Speaker 1 Like I feel like that humor and that sort of on guardness,

Speaker 1 it's, yes, it's like, it serves as just great comedic relief in any of these given moments, especially interacting with the environment, which is so much of what the show is about.

Speaker 1 But also, it's for me, it speaks to the fact that like you're dealing with less bullshit now. Like you are a version of Belinda now that is like, no, fuck that.
I will self-preserve.

Speaker 1 So it means more to me than just those small interactions. And where we find Belinda right now in the season, and we've seen the six episodes so far,

Speaker 1 is

Speaker 1 a place of true fear and existential terror because she's now being like you know she's greg is in the midst and and and we they see each other in a real way so i wonder like what do you think of that progression and where do you think she's at and going i love this question so for me when we see her at the end of season one right it's like she is devastated her hopes were dashed and then we see

Speaker 1 her

Speaker 1 starting something new, doing something that's, you know, out of her comfort zone. And I feel like when we do that, it speaks to hope and optimism.

Speaker 1 So it speaks to some kind of between the time we last saw her and when we meet her, she has grieved that loss and is trying again.

Speaker 1 Finally. Finally.
And when you meet someone on sort of like the precipice of change and like, you know, in entertaining optimism, it's an exciting role to play because she's doing something familiar.

Speaker 1 Yes, it's massage, but it's in a completely different country. She's learning a new technique.
She's raising the bar for herself.

Speaker 1 And when we see her in six, all of the hope that she has is now being threatened by Greg. And her son is there.

Speaker 1 So Mama Bear is kicking in. So she can't just recede, which is what she's used to doing when, you know, things get bad or scary.
Now it's fight or flight and bitch is going to fight.

Speaker 1 You know, like we want to see that activation. Yeah.
Is she going to be successful? I hope fucking so.

Speaker 1 It's like to pit her against, you know, Greg in this way. I think Mike was so smart in the writing because it's, it's the recognition is so heavy and it hits so hard when audiences see that.
And

Speaker 1 he's very sinister. And in John in real life, he's such a dear friend.
He's also so sweet. Yeah,

Speaker 1 like so sweet. And but when he got in character, there was one tape.

Speaker 1 Oh, I

Speaker 1 jumped. I was like, don't, you can't smile at me like that.
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 1 Because he would just like smile and like raise his eyebrows. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And the variations of that character he's given us.

Speaker 1 Like, you really don't know if in that very first scene he appeared in in season one, if that was a long con from the beginning, if it was something he figured out.

Speaker 1 There's so many things that are under the surface, obviously with every character, but him being sort of the big boss of the show now at this point, the main antagonist of the show, every time you see him, it gets scary because it didn't start that way.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And you know what he's capable of.
Right. Right.
So it's just like, it's all in that first interaction that you two have this season, though, I feel, where you approach him at dinner. I

Speaker 1 love that scene.

Speaker 1 It's both of you volleying it in this way that is like incredibly tense. Like, you're not looking, like, you're not like on your phone while you're watching the show.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 It's like, it's one of those, and I bring that up because this is a bad habit of mine now where I'm just like, okay, whatever. I'm putting on a reality.
Our rock and brains. Yeah.

Speaker 1 You know what I mean?

Speaker 1 But like, this is the thing that I think we're talking about, which is you can fill in the gaps as a viewer on Belinda's journey between one and three, seasons one and three, where it's like like her hopes were dashed.

Speaker 1 She has convalesced in the intervening time of like, I'm going to self-start again, like since being disappointed and feeling like I had this life preserver thrown at me. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I feel like the empathy that she in the favor that she courage season one

Speaker 1 is there. And we see that like she has found a way to do that for herself, you know, like support herself and cheer herself on.
And yeah.

Speaker 1 And I also think like it's fun to see her on a quasi-vacation because like we all have these vacation identities that we try on when we go out. It's just like, you know what?

Speaker 1 I got my vacation braids on. Then we like go out and wear these shoes that I've taken the tag off.
I never wore them before, but I'm gonna wear them now.

Speaker 1 So it's just like playing with identity and like who she wants to be. And I think it's really beautiful to play with someone who's such, you know, putty, ready to be molded.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 And now she's about to be molded by circumstance. Right.
Yeah. I wonder how many months cumulatively have you spent living in four seasons?

Speaker 1 Oh boy.

Speaker 1 Is it like almost a year doing this show? That would be more because I did

Speaker 1 Sonic in Hawaii and that was four seasons as well. Oh wow.
So you have

Speaker 1 you're a membership. I basically like at this point if they don't make me an ambassador, I don't know what else.

Speaker 1 I don't know what else. But

Speaker 1 it might scare people though. Like did you hear about that cruise that's like we'll take you to all the white lotus locations.
You can have a white lotus expired vacation.

Speaker 1 It's it's some vacation package.

Speaker 1 Hawaii to Thailand to Italy. Yeah, like there's something you can do.
That's oh, that's well, first of all,

Speaker 1 it's a jerk. It's Greg money, it's Greg money, but also, like, it's like, you know, to have a white lotus-inspired vacation, it's like, you know, what happens in the show, right? People, a lot of

Speaker 1 stuff. Yeah, there's someone said on set was just like, they must have the best PR tape in the game.

Speaker 1 They don't let they bury it all, punch them. intended.

Speaker 1 Oh my God.

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Speaker 1 Okay, Okay, so we have to ask you the question that we ask all of our guests. And I'm excited to ask you this, which was, what is the culture, Natasha Rothwell, that made you say culture was for you?

Speaker 1 I thought about this question a lot,

Speaker 1 also because I'm a fan of the show. And so I was just like,

Speaker 1 and I will say also, I've been trying to get on the show for 10 years, but my schedule has been so dumb. No, I mean, like, we've been trying.
We've been chasing each other. So this is the moment.

Speaker 1 But this is the moment. This is right now.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 And I'm like low-key embarrassed about what I'm about to say, but it's so true. And it is the movie Grease.
Let's go.

Speaker 1 Well, I got you. At least you picked the best movie of all time.

Speaker 1 And I will say, I feel like Grease 2 is not talked about enough. No, certainly enough about it.
Let's talk about it. Okay.
I just feel like, one, you have a girl for all seasons. We have Cool Ryder.

Speaker 1 I feel like we get to see like Michelle Pfeiffer getting dirty. She's straddling a ladder.

Speaker 1 But Grease, like the OG. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I just watched, I like, I wore out the VHS

Speaker 1 cassette. It would be on my letterbox four, I think.

Speaker 1 If I ever get asked that question by that incredible organization,

Speaker 1 I will say one word, Greece. Greece.
And then I'll figure out the other three. But like, what is it about it for you? Because for me, I think

Speaker 1 there's something about it's some amalgamation of like the costumes and the way the actors are committed to those insane characterizations and obviously the incredibly catchy music. Yeah.

Speaker 1 But is there anything specific for you?

Speaker 1 Well, the music for sure, but also like i grew up in the church very chaste and so i relayed it with uh you know sandra d yes good girl gone bad come on i'm like give me that murder i was like yeah

Speaker 1 so it was so much fun watching someone just like get pursued by the bad boy and like there was all of this kind of like you know it felt austinian because they're like longing glances and like you know there's just this tension of just like when are they gonna kiss and it just

Speaker 1 like a reason

Speaker 1 yeah and it's just the tension play like we don't even get to see that like the magic of that until like the end yeah because and then chat chat do you go to the best dancer at saint bernadette

Speaker 1 i think it's one of those things that like by osmosis i do know every line and i i think maybe most people do and don't even realize it yeah it'll come on and then every once in a while it's just like oh i don't know where my keys are but i know exactly

Speaker 1 the vadress of grace would be like at any sort of like rented apartment that you would like you would go to on a family trip or something yeah it would be like in like the person's like closet or something for me the thing about grease which is the thing that musicals on some level should be because they are musicals because the emotion is so heightened that they yeah you you can't do anything but sing is that it's the highest fantasy it is

Speaker 1 fantasy in the best way they drive off in the car

Speaker 1 to the sky

Speaker 1 beauty school dropout i was like are you kidding he came from heaven that's actually not talked about enough it's really culture number eight beauty Business dropout, he came down.

Speaker 1 He came from heaven. He came from heaven.
He literally came down to give her her guidance. Oh,

Speaker 1 I also think that like I was, when it came out, I was like, I wanted to perform. Like, and

Speaker 1 I

Speaker 1 saw that as such a, like, like it was catharsis, right, on screen where I was just like, oh, that, I want to do something where I get to build it up to that point.

Speaker 1 And my God, like, it's like the spirit inside you like wants to emulate that.

Speaker 1 That is like the strongest link that you can have as like a viewer yeah and it's so funny too because like the movie couldn't be more white but like for me it was more about like the good versus evil like bad and good and like i was able to sort of watch it through that lens and i mean just The jackets, like everything about it.

Speaker 1 I just remember watching it and like doing the little like, you know what I'm saying? Like the little shit.

Speaker 1 Everyone had, I remember when, when I was little, we would do like our little dance contest. Like, that's one of the things me and my friends would do, like me and the girls.

Speaker 1 And it was always, you're the one that I want. It was always

Speaker 1 summer night. Oh, please.
One of the best group numbers in any musical. Yeah.

Speaker 1 So good. It's so good.
And also, then when you get a little older and you can really appreciate the depth of There Are Worse Things I Could Do.

Speaker 1 I mean, come on. I believe this is my like hot take that might be a cold take because everyone might have it.
Stalker Channing, that should have been an Oscar nomination. I agree.

Speaker 1 the the what she brought to there are worse things i could do

Speaker 1 that that's a moment in movies it is everything

Speaker 1 and like you see her

Speaker 1 because didn't she have an or she had an abortion or she lost the babe or something she she lost the baby or it was like a false alarm oh yeah it was a false

Speaker 1 it was like it was a false alarm

Speaker 1 she's having these conversations yeah yeah and that's like that's a lot and the whole movie is a lot like they're talking about like you know during grease lightning that is those are some weird things.

Speaker 1 And I, that was, that was my kind of like chased brain missed that until I was much older. And then I was like, oh, no.
Right. I know what that's about.
You know what?

Speaker 1 That's did you do musicals in high school? I did. So are you? I was Mama Rose.

Speaker 1 You were not.

Speaker 1 See,

Speaker 1 you need to take over for Audrey.

Speaker 1 And I met Audra when I was in college. She came to visit University of Maryland and we were doing you can't take it with you.
Oh, God.

Speaker 1 And she was in the hallway.

Speaker 1 And I have this like fun picture of me and her back then but wow i did you guys did obviously musicals and we did musicals he did i didn't oh yeah he was like a high school he was like a zach i fought in high school musical like was an athlete but like secretly wanted to perform right it's your dad sports sports sports sports sports but that that wasn't really what held me back all he wanted me to do was be involved it was more just like gay on long island right with all stuff up here but i found it eventually yeah i just want to i just want to own up to the fact that um natasha said i was mama rose and my brain glutched and I thought you meant Mama Morton from Chicago.

Speaker 1 But

Speaker 1 Tor de Forest.

Speaker 1 Tour Morton. But I did meet Queen Latifah at the Variety Shop.
Oh, that was fun. She came up to me.
She was amazing. She's amazing.
She shines. She's on deep.

Speaker 1 There's something about her that, like, it's, I remember I met her years ago when I was doing the NYU newspaper and I went to go interview her for Secret Life of Bees. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And she came in with her platinum blonde hair and sat down and just, it was like, oh, now I know what it's like to be in the presence of a superstar. Royalty.
She radiates. She is a queen.
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Obsessed.

Speaker 1 Mama Rose. That is, I need to see that.
You do need to take over Varaj. I had

Speaker 1 my,

Speaker 1 the guy who played my husband in, in that show was so gay.

Speaker 1 He was so gay. He was Herbie.
He was so Herbie. He was so gay.

Speaker 1 And the kiss that we have was on, like, I believe it was on the cheek. I was just like, what? Like, I believe it was on the cheek.
I believe it was on, upon my cheek.

Speaker 1 I just remember there was, we had, I mean, it was so bootleg. It was high school, right?

Speaker 1 The have an egg roll, Mr. Goldstone.

Speaker 1 Oh, sure. All of that.
We had like a prop issue and it wasn't there. And I did improv, right, since high, I've been doing improv since high school.
So like, did you object work at? Yes!

Speaker 1 And people were just like, that was, it was a choice. And like, oh, I didn't know.
And my director was just like, thanks for saving the scene. I was like, you got it.
And I was just like,

Speaker 1 embarrassing. No, that is that is what no more no my most embarrassing moment was auditioning for

Speaker 1 wait my fair lady we did my fair lady this was my junior year or my sophomore year and i decided to learn sign language to the song that i was going to sing to because i didn't have confidence in my pipes oh and so i forgot the lyrics to the song or the the sign halfway through singing it no but my hands were already extended and moving so it it was just interpretive dance yes i don't even remember what i was saying but i just remember i was just like moving my hands and i left sobbing but wait a minute like that was cast you were cast i'm saying there's something special about that audition you in the room and i'm like i don't know what that one is i want her in my show i want her in my show i want that movie because it's gonna be fun to watch oh boy half signing sobbing it was so it was just yeah it was a cluster fuck of beauty no but like this is the natasha rothwell thing of i'm gonna power through and it's going to be compelling enough and you're going to fucking gag and love it.

Speaker 1 If there's anything about me, it's like, it takes a lot for me to give up

Speaker 1 generally. Yeah.
And to the point of like,

Speaker 1 and I think it's also my brain, I'm neuro spicy a lot. And so I love solving problems.

Speaker 1 So like a no or like some like I'm just like, oh, that's just, I'll figure it out or I'll work through it. That's an obstacle currently.
Yes. But it will not be the definitive answer.
Correct.

Speaker 1 But to be neurospicy and to be like collaborative is killer combo, I feel. I think, yeah, it's a one-two punch, but I also have learned more of myself in my 40s.

Speaker 1 It's like I'm now a boundaried baddie because I know that I recharge solo and I knew that before, but I am a people pleaser, a recovering people pleaser.

Speaker 1 So like I would exhaust myself, as I'm sure you know, it's just like, I will give until there's nothing left. I think we all, we all, we all give.

Speaker 1 When did you clock that and adjust that? I want to say in my 30s,

Speaker 1 I

Speaker 1 felt that, well, SNL kind of happened in my mid-30s. And it was around that time where it was just like, I, you know, you understand when you're on the show, you have to promise them everything.

Speaker 1 And making time for other people

Speaker 1 came at like, a cost. And so it was one of those things of like, I could hang out with you and make you feel good.

Speaker 1 And I would feel good for making you feel good, but then I would be like a shell of a human tomorrow. And so having to make those calls.

Speaker 1 And then I think it's still taken me. I mean, I'm still in the process of releasing the guilt I have for choosing me.

Speaker 1 And do you know what I mean? So like, even though I've learned how to do it, it's still like not letting go of that guilt and consider myself worthy of, you know, the choice.

Speaker 1 But the guilt probably, and this is not like a, me saying this in a dire way, like I've learned to just not accept it, but live with it because it's going to regenerate itself with every interaction, with every choice you make for yourself.

Speaker 1 It comes with that little tax. Yeah.
You know what I mean? Yeah. That guilt tax.
There's a guilt tax.

Speaker 1 There's guilt tax. And I think too, like the...
the amount of guilt tax you pay decreases the longer you're in therapy.

Speaker 1 So for me, the more I've worked on myself, I used to have to pay a heavy toll. And now I pay a lot less.
And maybe I'll have an easy pass at one point and I won't have to worry about it.

Speaker 1 But then they'll throw congestion prices on you. Yeah.

Speaker 1 It's impossible. It's impossible.
That is, I think for me, it was like, it was honestly the pandemic. It was being forced to be alone that made me realize like, maybe I've always needed this.

Speaker 1 You know what I mean? Listen, I was three months in and I was just like, I'm good.

Speaker 1 Right?

Speaker 1 Do you remember feeling like that? I was like, oh, wow. Okay.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.
And then you deal with the anxiety of when things lifted.

Speaker 1 I remember feeling like, am I crazy and weird for feeling like I don't want to necessarily go back to the life I had because I was exhausted all the time. The time.

Speaker 1 Because I think that it also connects back to us having to grind so hard. Yeah.
Like

Speaker 1 that we all have different experiences of not being in exactly the mold of what was, you know, out there being shown as like a successful comedian, whatever it is.

Speaker 1 Like, and I remember feeling like, oh, I have no choice but to exhaust myself because they won't just give the opportunities. There will be someone that they see in a more one-to-one way.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 So all of a sudden, your wheels have spun so fast in your 20s and into your 30s. And then something says, Hey, cosmically, we're stopping.

Speaker 1 And then it's like,

Speaker 1 that was when I was like, oh, thank God I'm in therapy because I have to deal with the fact that I don't want to rejoin society. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Interesting. But wait.
So would you, would you say that it's like

Speaker 1 an opposite track in terms of like what Mel goes through and how to die alone? It's like, this is someone who wants to sort of like break out of her solitude in a way. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I think it's also.

Speaker 1 I basically wrote the show as kind of like a love letter to that unhealed version of myself where it's just like,

Speaker 1 I don't even know if she

Speaker 1 knows herself enough to

Speaker 1 decide what it is, you know, like, so it's breaking out of the comfort of the known and going into the unknown. And I think in doing that,

Speaker 1 it's not guaranteed that you're going to love it. You know what I mean? Like, you might hit, and that's why we always called her like our human Roomba.

Speaker 1 Like, you hit wall after wall after wall, but you're still getting your shit clean.

Speaker 1 And like, for her, being able to like make those mistakes and like take risks and figure out if she is a people person, you don't know if you don't allow people in your life and i do think that like aspirationally i tacked her affinity for being around people onto the character because for me i love people but i'm a small dose girl yeah do you know what i mean like i love give me like y'all two conversation I will talk for eight hours and then we'll be good for a little bit.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And that's perfect.
And that's perfect. Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
100%.

Speaker 1 A room full of people like don't need to see you.

Speaker 1 How were you the other night then at Vanity Fair when we saw you? Like, cause that, that, I get really anxious about those things. And then I find when I'm there, I'm okay.

Speaker 1 And I'm actually like, there's even enjoying it sometimes, but it takes me a lot to drag ass there. I

Speaker 1 okay.

Speaker 1 How do I say this so I get invited back? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

Speaker 1 okay. We love

Speaker 1 being there. So I loved being there.

Speaker 1 My default is not that environment. Of course.

Speaker 1 And so I parked myself towards the entrance and I people watched. That's kind of my happy place.
So I was just watching the like the looks come in, watching the people, watching conversations.

Speaker 1 And I tend to default in any environment, not just high stakes, Oscar weekend parties. I want to find a corner.

Speaker 1 I want to watch. And then I want to find like a person or a couple of people that I'm going to have probably an oversharing conversation.
You know what I mean? Like,

Speaker 1 whatever. Like, let's get in.
So what about your father? You know, like type of conversations. An anchor.
Anchor. Yeah.
And so I went there. I took a propranolol because made it blocking.

Speaker 1 So that way my nerves don't get the best of me. I brought the director of development of my production company and she was tasked,

Speaker 1 she was tasked by my publicist to make sure that I did turns around the room. Yeah.
Oh, that's an amazing accountability. You need to make sure that Natasha does at least some turns around.

Speaker 1 Turns around the room.

Speaker 1 So I would sit there and then she'd be like, you ready to go do a lap? And I'm like, okay. and then i'd do a lap austinian is fuck it a turn around the room

Speaker 1 turn about the room i should have said that as the pop culture that changed my life the mini series oh

Speaker 1 yeah absolutely well

Speaker 1 too but grease is but i mean no

Speaker 1 connecting grease as austinian is important i feel like i did some work just then you did what you did was you taught the children i taught the children and it's been a while since we genuinely taught the children

Speaker 1 along the children

Speaker 1 chasing the new and now it's like no let's not talk let's go back and teach them them.

Speaker 1 Okay, so

Speaker 1 you did a couple, you did a walk about the room.

Speaker 1 And it was good. It was good.
And it's, it's, I don't, this sounds so like fucking twee and like,

Speaker 1 and like, but it was so cool to see people that I've only ever seen on TV and film. Yeah.
And like, I'm not someone who fangirls because I do feel that there's a distance between me and them. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Even though I'm in the same room. And this isn't some kind of like, woe is me, like, you know,

Speaker 1 imposter syndrome bullshit. It's literally just like, you reside on that stratosphere and you're allowed to be there.
And I just, my joy is just observing, you know,

Speaker 1 so that was my journey that night was just like watching. I did go up to one person.
You'll never guess. One person out of all of the people there.
Okay. I didn't approach anyone but this one person.

Speaker 1 Is this someone? I'm trying to think of who we saw. Is this someone who has like, has been around for a while or is this a long time ago? Oh, long

Speaker 1 time.

Speaker 1 Okay. I'm going to say,

Speaker 1 I'm gonna say

Speaker 1 Billy Crystal.

Speaker 1 Oh, was he? No.

Speaker 1 Because now I'm thinking, because honestly, what I'm realizing is that we did what you said, but it was with John Hamm at the bar.

Speaker 1 And so, I mean, we were so happy to just park with him. Hi!

Speaker 1 And so now I'm realizing I didn't see a lot of people, so I can't even guess. So I'm just going to throw out a guess and say, Lisgow.
No, John Waters. Oh, John Waters was there.

Speaker 1 So he was. Oh, my God.

Speaker 1 So even though though University of Maryland, Marilyn Grass, Tracy Turnblat, she was a fatty baddie before I even knew I could be one.

Speaker 1 And he was standing there in his suit with the mustache drawn on, pink, huge sneakers. No hands up.
And then all these like gorgeous starlets were just walking past him. Yeah, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 Not knowing that he was. And so he was by himself.
And I was just like, just do it, Natasha. Just do it.
You can go up to him. Just do it.
100%. So I go up to him and I was like, excuse me, Mr.

Speaker 1 Waters. And he's like, yes.
And I was just like, my name is Natasha Rothel. I'm a huge fan.
I I went to University of Maryland. He's like, Maryland, Baltimore.
I love it.

Speaker 1 And I was just like, and I, I just, thank you for Tracy Turnblat, like that and everything. And he was just so warm.
And then I just kind of like stood there and then ran away.

Speaker 1 That's such a good moment. But I was just like, I mean, he's such an icon.
Yes. Such an icon.

Speaker 1 So that was like a cool moment. And I felt like.
He felt like he was, even though he wasn't against a wall, but he was like by himself on his phone. I was like, ooh, I see you.
Yes.

Speaker 1 Even you, John Waters. Even you are just like by yourself.
Parked. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Speaker 1 And Hairspray, by the way, like in obvious ways and also in spiritual ways that are like not as obvious, can be in a peace to Greece. I think.
Yes. You know what I mean? Absolutely.

Speaker 1 I think that like they both dealt with different eras, obviously. And I feel like the

Speaker 1 yeah, the just the culture of Baltimore. He just was such, he's the, you know, the, the grand poet of Baltimore.
Yes. Could be Poe, but I think it's him.
It's him. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Wait, okay, but this is the thing. Like the distance that we feel at these events between ourselves and like the people that are walking by.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 It like it works in every direction because I was saying this on our last episode. Like we were just talking, chatting it up.
I think it was right before I saw you, that we saw you.

Speaker 1 The person who ran up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and was like, oh my God, thank God you're here. You'll never guess.
Yeah. Megan thee stallion.

Speaker 1 Just like, yo,

Speaker 1 she was like, oh, she was like, hey, oh, hi. Oh, my God.
Thank God you're here. Like, I don't know anybody here.
And I was just like,

Speaker 1 Meg. Meg.

Speaker 1 What are you talking about? Hot girl, Meg. I'm your like,

Speaker 1 titty out, Meg.

Speaker 1 She looked amazing. I turned around, I looked at her, and I just go, period.

Speaker 1 And she goes back.

Speaker 1 Period. Yeah.
And that's what I'm saying. And I saw her come in, and I was just like, oh, my God.
Yeah. The nipple cover.
But I feel like everyone.

Speaker 1 I mean, I feel like that level of like social anxiety feels so unique. Right.
Yeah. And it's hard to, to accept that someone else like her

Speaker 1 is like, oh my God, I might have said the wrong thing. Or just like, my Areola showing? Like,

Speaker 1 right. There, mine's was page six.
Yeah. No.

Speaker 1 There's a little, there's a little slip, but it was fine. It was fun.
Yeah. But no, I feel like I have, my mind just runs a mile a minute.

Speaker 1 And to know that someone like her is also a head case, it's kind of, it's nice, but it's hard to understand.

Speaker 1 That's what you have to remember: it's like, not only are these all human beings, but they're also human beings who are in the arts and at one point, like, were just like the weirdos that wanted to be accepted, et cetera.

Speaker 1 And this is a big night for pretty much everyone.

Speaker 1 Of course, you know, somewhere in the crowd in there, I'm sure we had our like major ego narcissists, but like, not that we talked to, you know what I mean? It was kind of nice. Yeah.

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Speaker 1 Bringing it back to the white lotus, what I love about it too is it feels like Mike really gets together people who are freaks in a way. It's like, it feels like a theater troupe in a way.

Speaker 1 It's not like a collection of celebrities. Like, of course, there are those names that you kind of just know that pop out, like you're Jennifer Coolidge or Aubrey Plaza.

Speaker 1 That feels like there's moments of like, oh, you're Parker Posey. Like, we know who she is.

Speaker 1 But what I love is that it's giving, it's like a community of people who are, you know, as actors, yeah, artists, and giving them the platform to now be tearing it up on the most popular show in the

Speaker 1 world. In the world, it's so insane because truly season one was meant to be a limited series one and done.
Right. And so for it to be what it is now,

Speaker 1 you would think it would change the recipe, but Mike has not changed it. No.
It's like theater camp. Like you go there, and every single person there loves the craft.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 They use words like the craft. You know what I mean? And like being able, I remember when I got to set, just flew in, crashed that night, walked down to set just to watch.

Speaker 1 And I stayed and to watch the girls. They were shooting their first breakfast scene, the three ladies.
Yes. And I was just like, oh, I'm just watching Masterclass.

Speaker 1 Like, I'm just like watching them cook. Like, I'm, it was so cool to be like, oh yeah, we're back.
And it felt like the same pure show that I was on originally.

Speaker 1 It's the DNA, everything is still there, even though they got a bigger budget. You know what I mean? But like

Speaker 1 more cast members, but like each person, I mean, like you said, everyone's a freak. Everyone's obsessed about what they do.
And each of them brings something so special and unique.

Speaker 1 I mean, I'm working with Leslie Bibb now. And I was watching her like.
process and I'm like, wow, I didn't, I was like, she really has like this amazing process and she's so excellent.

Speaker 1 And then I obviously knew she was cast in White Lotus, but I'm watching White Lotus and I was thinking back to, you know, watching her do what she does.

Speaker 1 And I'm like, this has to be like such an exciting environment because you know that's the way Carrie Kuhn does it. Like I'm loving Michelle Monaghan on the show.

Speaker 1 And also, again, like the idea of the very specific examination of three old friends on a vacation. Like it's one of my favorite storylines.
I was mean to know.

Speaker 1 I told Mike when I, because I binged the whole show when I got all the scripts. And so, and that was one of of the first things.
I was just like, you have embodied

Speaker 1 adult female friendship in a way where I'm just like, it was uncanny. And something specific, so specific about one of them being a TV star.
Oh, God.

Speaker 1 That's paid for it. Yes.
Which I feel like. And now that we're getting to the point where it's like, you kind of get the sense that she's, you know,

Speaker 1 going to maybe use that,

Speaker 1 might bring it up, like might, might do do the big boss vacation friend thing it's getting so

Speaker 1 thick in that way yeah and just like the way that she ticks and the way i can't decide and this is a huge testament like i'm talking to some people who are like oh those women really hate each other but then i'm like no i think they really love each other but are just frustrated by the way life has changed them.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And they're, I think they're all really trying to connect with each other.

Speaker 1 I don't think that it's a, of course, they've got their envies and jealousies and like their own personal insecurities, but I don't think we're watching three women that hate each other.

Speaker 1 Well, I think that like, and I don't know if you guys find this, like, when I go back home for the holidays or whatever, you revert back to the version of yourself when you're around people who knew you when.

Speaker 1 Thank you. And so I feel like what we're seeing is them in high school and middle school behaving with.
or trying to communicate with their actions instead of their words. Right.
Yes.

Speaker 1 And so there's this passive aggressiveness. And I think it's looks like a lack of emotional intelligence when they all possess it, but they're opting not to.

Speaker 1 I think because they're when the, when these three are gathered, they turn back into the versions of their self that felt jilted, that felt like they did everything, that felt like their beauty was all that there is.

Speaker 1 And so watching them play those subtleties and then they're the tension is they're trying to like resist who they were and become who they are.

Speaker 1 And then they're also all trying to become something else. Like they're trying to grow together.
So it's like such an interesting intersection of all of those, like all of that tension, you know?

Speaker 1 Well, like when they go into town and they get like hosed down by these kids. I love that.

Speaker 1 It kind of is the reset for the, or no, it's like them being shoved back into adolescence in a way. Like they're being picked on.

Speaker 1 And then the rest of that day plays out in a way where they're like trying to like. compete for like male attention

Speaker 1 and that feels like the most

Speaker 1 dangerous, treacherous teenage circumstance. Yeah.
And it's so well crafted in that. I mean, from the first episode, her single sob like a child

Speaker 1 cut to, I mean, she's forgetting this level. She, and then like Leslie, like in that episode where it's revealed that she's got, let's just say, political differences.

Speaker 1 And the way she like looks at them longingly, like, like, but there is such a disappointment in herself. Like, like, are they right? And I think that that's.

Speaker 1 Something that's really jumping out towards the end here is they are returning to a childlike state. Like every single time it's insinuated that they're old, the way that Michelle,

Speaker 1 like her line readings of panic about like, what are you talking about? We're not old.

Speaker 1 We can still have fun to the point where they're going to push, they're going to push each other into a situation that is truly dire and uncomfortable

Speaker 1 because youth is all that matters to her or that she's been told that that's all that should matter to her. That's right.
That's right.

Speaker 1 And there's just, it's really, he's done it again, if you can believe it. Yeah.

Speaker 1 How are, how are you and John? I'm curious, how are you guys playing those interactions? Because there is like palpable fear from you. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And I'm feeling it watching from home like, oh my God, no, Natasha, like you're like terror. It's terrifying.
Yeah. And it's also, I think,

Speaker 1 so we, we had him on set the whole time, but it was a secret.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 He hung out with us, but it wasn't a ton in the beginning. And like, it was just like trying, like, all that kind of stuff.
And so I think

Speaker 1 being on set with him was always a treat because I was like, oh, I get some John time today, you know, like, you know, because he was off exploring or doing whatever. And

Speaker 1 he is such a chameleon that like in those moments where he's just like looking at me and then he kind of tilts his head and smiles.

Speaker 1 It's just like my, like, so it just works on you on like, on like a primal level. Yes.
Like

Speaker 1 fear. And also it's just like, it preys upon all of sort of like my natural inclinations to like, be liked and wanted.
And like, why does he hate me? And like, what does he want to do?

Speaker 1 And like, you know, how can I fix this?

Speaker 1 And like, oh he's a bad guy and like well do you want to hurt like there's she's filled with fear and curiosity at the same time and that tension is where she's living which is just like no way to be and um john is just so

Speaker 1 and he yeah his character is so antithetical to who he is as a person and so when he just plays those

Speaker 1 oh when he comes out and surprises me

Speaker 1 I watched it and screamed along with myself.

Speaker 1 That's how much I was like, oh, I was like, there he goes. Yes.
Wow.

Speaker 1 So just to like ask about Mike White as a director, because like he does everything, but I feel like I'm very curious as to the process of like the scene work, because that is what I think is so amazing about the show: the dialogue and the scene work and the small things.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 Is he encouraging of any improv? Like,

Speaker 1 I would imagine with you, someone that's like got such a strong background and someone that he trusts and has done this, like, or is it kind of clinical on the page?

Speaker 1 Because I could see it being either. He plays.

Speaker 1 So we're, there's a scene in next week's week's episode i won't spoil anything seven you mean seven oh no it's not seven is it seven if it's up through six we can talk about it

Speaker 1 okay then i won't talk about it all right okay but what i will say there are moments where i improvise and there are moments where he

Speaker 1 wants to get it as written but will give you direction to play with it a fun run a fun run yeah but he it's less a fun run it's more just like he he wants options and i remember i told the cast this because like he's unlike any director i've ever worked with and again just being such a people pleaser and, you know, the ever the good student, if you give me a note, I'm going to do that note.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And I will not vary from that.
And so like he will come in and give like a completely opposite note. And so I take that as I totally fucked up that last note.

Speaker 1 And I remember talking to him about it like season one. And he was like, no, I just want options.
He's like, emailed it. I want options.

Speaker 1 And so, and I also know him to be the kind of director, like he's not going to move on until he has it.

Speaker 1 And that's the benefit of like being directed by the guy who's also working alongside an amazing editor, John Valerio. And John Valerio, he's on set.
So the editor is there with you.

Speaker 1 So they know, oh, we got that. So I had to take my ego off the table.
And that allowed me to work with him as a director in a way that felt like I was having fun. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Because I was like, I could play around. And he also knows like my improv chops.
And so, and some of the scenes where Belinda's like, you know, having a little bit of a comedic moment.

Speaker 1 He's just like, have fun. I'm like, all right, let's go.
Let's go.

Speaker 1 That is where the comfort and the trust lies in in terms of an actor and a director where it's like you're not going to move on until we're until you're happy and that way i'm comforted in the knowledge that like you got it like that yeah you have what you need it takes a minute to learn that though yeah you know what i mean because i think and maybe this again speaks to the fact that it was a lot of self-grinding and hard work in so many different areas that there is tends to be, I think, especially when I was like first starting out booking jobs.

Speaker 1 I don't know how you guys feel, but it was really never enough in a way that I realized at one point was actually hurting me, not helping me.

Speaker 1 Like it wasn't helping me to walk away from every setup being like, I didn't do a good enough job. Because also people can see that.

Speaker 1 And what they're thinking as a director is, oh, they don't trust me. They don't know that I got this.
Correct. When that relationship is one of the most important things.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 And yeah, when you learn that.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I've also just like, there's that inner critic, right?

Speaker 1 That I've had to wrestle my whole life of just like that not enoughness in literally every aspect of my life sure and i feel like the place that i've gotten to i have such confidence in my

Speaker 1 creative and professional life and that is trickling down into my personal life but it took me a long time to be able to for example create an award-winning critically acclaimed tv show and have it canceled and to be like i did that shit yeah do you know what i mean like i i don't know where

Speaker 1 it broke down. I don't know where it broke down, but I can look back at what I've done with a sense of pride and not not enoughness.

Speaker 1 And that was a moment where I was just like, oh, a bitch had some growth. And that's a true

Speaker 1 speech at this at the Indie Spirits. Was I, I like stood up.
Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Speaker 1 It was, I mean, how the dissonance of like accepting an award for a show that's canceled, it was just kind of like,

Speaker 1 it all came up. But I think that like that, that not enoughness, I think when I reacted to that news,

Speaker 1 I obviously had feelings, but when I was able to, yeah, the boomerang back, you know, just being able to come back to myself and know that like I did what I was supposed to do and there's circumstances out of my control.

Speaker 1 And sometimes things aren't fair. Yeah.
Yeah. But you take this and you, and it extrapolates forward into like the rest of your career.
I can't wait for who the fuck did I marry? Thanks, babe.

Speaker 1 I'm so excited. It's going to be, it's going gonna be

Speaker 1 i mean

Speaker 1 it's that is that what a saga it was such a saga and there's so much more you don't even know

Speaker 1 oh my god are you are you talking to teresa yeah okay that's movie

Speaker 1 yeah i love it it's still and it's so lovely and marty knoxon who's incredible

Speaker 1 unreal yeah unreal let's talk about unreal can i can we though yeah when i moved to la i went to my very first like la thing i did i went to an fyc panel for unreal was there everybody yeah everybody Sherry Appleby.

Speaker 1 That should have been an Emmy win.

Speaker 1 Like, that was, that was amazing. Constance Simmer, obviously, the whole cast.
Constance is everything. But she's with me.
We're co-creating.

Speaker 1 And so she's going to like, and she's, yeah, her, her writing and everything is incredible. And she'll tell you she lived, she lived a similar story.
So like her, she's such a value add.

Speaker 1 But yeah, hopefully we'll, we'll be bringing that soon. I love it.

Speaker 1 Wait, I've always been curious. I've never gotten to ask you about this.
And now I'm like a new weeb, as they say, like a new otaku like i went to japan for the first time and i'm like

Speaker 1 this is this is my place but what was your what was your time in tokyo like so different because you were working it was like yeah every time in your life in my i was 26 27 when i got there i was teaching english part-time i started performing at the tokyo comedy store which is like their version of boom chicago

Speaker 1 where it's just like they had expats performing for a lot of like largely uh expat audience it was wild i was black in Japan. Barack wasn't in office yet.
He got elected that year.

Speaker 1 And I just remember like riding my bike around town and people shouting like, Obama!

Speaker 1 And I would just like, I just like wave and I'm like, yes. Like I was just like owning it.

Speaker 1 Wow. People would, even pre his inauguration, like.
People would take pictures with me, pull my hair

Speaker 1 and just like,

Speaker 1 but I didn't mind it. Okay.
I didn't mind it

Speaker 1 because it came from a place of curiosity and it wasn't steeped in the fucking like trauma response that is living in America as a black person. Do you know what I mean? So like

Speaker 1 it was just like little, like people were just like, oh my God. But how long did it take for you to like have that understanding of like, oh, this is, this is just a curiosity? Pretty quickly.
Okay.

Speaker 1 Because it's such a homogenous country. Sure.
And the only kind of like.

Speaker 1 racism that I peeped, it was like, if you were African American, they were cool with you. But if you were from the continent,

Speaker 1 they were kind of like a little suspicious.

Speaker 1 And I didn't know that because one of the guys that I was working with at the school where I was teaching, he was African American, but he looked like he was from the continent.

Speaker 1 And we were going to this like karaoke bar and they wouldn't let him in.

Speaker 1 And we were just kind of like, well, what's going on? He's like, I know this happens sometimes. Let's go to another one.
So that was wild, but I loved it. Like the, I had the best time.

Speaker 1 I loved it and I was obsessed with it. And then towards the end, it dawned on me.

Speaker 1 I was like, the reason the toilets are so clean and all that shit is because the reason why everyone knows where they have to go and fall in line is because it's homogenous. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And like, is that, is that like a worthwhile thing to aspire to? You know, here's what I'll say about that.

Speaker 1 I don't aspire to homogeny, but I think when you are in an environment where you are othered, you see yourself more clearly.

Speaker 1 I felt like I was wearing polka dots to a stripes party. Everything that I was trying to run from, I saw more acutely.

Speaker 1 And for me, being in an environment where I felt so seen and so watched, it was just like, okay, bitch, audit who you are and who you want to be and how you present yourself.

Speaker 1 And I think that like, while it's not ideal, I do think moments of homogeny can remind you of who you are and require you to show up, show up for yourself.

Speaker 1 And I think that when I was there, you know, I was

Speaker 1 so,

Speaker 1 you know, I was, had lived in DC, graduated from University of Maryland. I knew I wanted to go to New York, but I was terrified.
I was like, I want to live some life.

Speaker 1 So I did this like little adventure. And wherever you go, there you are.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 And I feel like that's also like white. That's white load.
I was going to say.

Speaker 1 That's white loads. Especially when you're on vacation and you're supposed to relax.

Speaker 1 I feel like that's one of the greatest things about it. It's the greatest thing about the show.
It picks apart the idea that it's like, okay, I'm relaxing and now I'm alone with my brain. Right.

Speaker 1 And I'm alone with these people who are close to me that I've elected to spend time with and their brain. With no tech.
I did that once for a week.

Speaker 1 I did a Buddhist meditation retreat for four days, five days, four nights. How did it go? Withdrawals.
Oh, yeah. This was like no, no tech, no speaking.
Oh, damn. Oh, I've heard of these.
It's not.

Speaker 1 I've heard of the no speaking thing. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Yeah, no. And do you hear the thoughts more loudly or what? Like, what's going on? I felt like I was at like a rock concert.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Because there was no way to, and here's what I did.
So like, again, rule follower, before we entered the silence, you could ask questions. And I was just like, books.
I brought books.

Speaker 1 And he's like, nope, because you're just like distracting yourself. And I was just like, so no books, no, like I'm trying to go through all the things.

Speaker 1 Like I know, no gadgets, but I was like, what are the tactile sort of like analog things I could do to like?

Speaker 1 And he was just like, journaling. That's the one thing that was permitted.
My hand was throwing up gang signs. I wrote so much.

Speaker 1 I was like, I was like cramping because I needed to have some place to put it. But I will say,

Speaker 1 yeah, it was clarity. Clarity times 10.
It was amazing. Eventually you got there.
Eventually I got there. Like kicking and screaming, clarity.
And then now I'm also just like glued to my phone again.

Speaker 1 One of the most anxiety-inducing scenes of all of White Lotus so far,

Speaker 1 and obviously it was because it was the first scene and I was like waiting to see what was happening. But when Zion was sitting in meditation, I was just like.
It always just, it makes me anxious.

Speaker 1 I know. People always say like, you know what, you need to go? Yeah, go home and meditate.
I'm like, see, you're driving me nuts.

Speaker 1 And I also think that there's something to that in the whole show, this idea of what happens when you sit with yourself. Are you even able to entertain that idea? Yeah.

Speaker 1 And I just think those themes are becoming even more clear as we get to the end. Like, who are you really? Who are you really?

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 it's, yeah, it's just reconciling the, like, who you want to be and who you are. And I think that's a constant struggle.
And I think the more you resist.

Speaker 1 the truth of who you are it and don't adjust your your your aspirations to be in line with who you are. Yeah.
That's just where the tension lies. I think Mike does that so beautifully in the show.

Speaker 1 You have all of these people like hitting who they are like head on. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I mean, it's just really interesting because in now thinking about this thing of like the absence of tech and all that stuff, it's like, it's a place that's asking you to let go of all those things.

Speaker 1 And now we have, you know, the older Ratliff gentleman like panic because he can't communicate and needing to do that to like get information. And it's driving him crazy.

Speaker 1 Parker has lost her drugs, you know what I mean? She's going to be without her things. I think, honestly, Patrick Schwarzenegger, no one wants to fuck him in that entire place.

Speaker 1 And he's got this like thing in his head that that's where his power lies and his like, you know, vitality and sexual prowess. And he's just getting all he can get that from is his goddamn brother.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And it's, it's, it's just been a really interesting,

Speaker 1 specific test of all those things. Yeah.
I mean, and it's, I think, too, like, with each of them, you see

Speaker 1 the

Speaker 1 ugly coming to the surface and i feel like with zion played by the very symmetrical nicholas divert what a beautiful man it was a very like edible complex moment

Speaker 1 have you met your son

Speaker 1 i was like my

Speaker 1 male

Speaker 1 he was in the pool in this last episode and i turned to greta and i was like when he gets out of this water it's gonna be on sight it's gonna be something else and lo and behold make it worse he's like such a good dude

Speaker 1 i remember saying to him we had dinner like the first week we got there and i was just like you are too symmetrical to be this nice yeah and i was like oh and he was just like what i was like no it's like a lot of guys who look like you aren't this nice um but no i think like you know everyone's bring ugly

Speaker 1 Trust me, I've seen the blog.

Speaker 1 You've seen that. You've done the chore.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 Fuck so.

Speaker 1 But yeah, I think like everyone's working on their shit. But I think like with Zion, you see it's bringing his good out.
Do you know what I mean? Like he's rising to the occasion.

Speaker 1 So I do think that like things that test us, you know, they, yeah, they prove your metal. I'm so scared about what's going to happen.

Speaker 1 And I'm terrified. And the thing is, like, it's like, it would be one thing if we knew this was a show where like.
They wouldn't kill Belinda, but

Speaker 1 that's not what this is. I mean, we saw Jennifer Coolidge fall right off that boat and hit her head.
Oh, I screamed. People think I knew.
I had no idea about that.

Speaker 1 So your insight into season two was nothing. Nothing.
I was at home watching. I'm like, I love this for her.
And then like watching. And yeah, when she fell off, I screamed.

Speaker 1 And then perfect ending for that character, but so tough. And famously, she hates the water, being on it and gets famously seasick.
They had a bedazzled bucket for her season one to puke into.

Speaker 1 So I remember saying to Mike, I was like, the cruelty of this moment. And he was like, well, I had to write.
You know, she had to do it.

Speaker 1 And one of the most iconic scenes is the ashes in the water during the spirit and the fantasy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 They put her on the water both seasons. Yeah.
She's on vacation on the water for sure. That's so funny.
And Mike and her are like best, best, best friends. So it's so funny.

Speaker 1 I'm just like, oh, Mike, you're going to have to pay back. Pay back.

Speaker 1 This is mean. I hope Belinda kills Craig.
That's what I'm hoping for. That's what I hope.
I'm just comforted to like see you and be in the same space as you because I'm just

Speaker 1 because I know you're alive. I'm here.
Yeah, you're okay.

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Speaker 1 Speaking of being here, we probably should move into I Don't Think So Honey, which is where we're all asked to be here and present in a 60-second takedown of culture that absolutely must occur.

Speaker 1 And I feel I need to speak to some response that happens to the White Lotus this season. I just want to check people out.
Oh, I want to check people and truly, I think, make a point about.

Speaker 1 Let's just

Speaker 1 put it on talk. It's Matt Rogers.
I don't think so, honey, as time starts now. I don't think so, honey.
People saying that the white lotus incest this season is too much.

Speaker 1 Where were you during Game of Thrones? You had nothing to say when it was heterosexual incest.

Speaker 1 And then all of a sudden, now that it's homosexual incest, now that we see some making out and some jacking off, all of a sudden people are up in arms. I'm sorry.

Speaker 1 There was incestual procreation on Game of Thrones, and you said nothing. Maybe you thought it was a little silly, but you weren't like, it's too much for me.

Speaker 1 Close friends of ours saying, that's disgusting. 30 seconds.

Speaker 1 I don't want to see that. I I don't want to go there.
This is white lotus. You didn't think it was going to go there? I don't think so, honey.
You better love and enjoy.

Speaker 1 Get your popcorn out when these two men kiss because I am rooting for it. I hope they go all the way.

Speaker 1 I hope we see these brothers make it to the altar together. I want the white lotus to white lotus all over the place.

Speaker 1 I'm sorry, she didn't do that. I'm pretending to be two gay brothers who are doing it all over each other.
Grow up. I don't think so, honey.
And that's one minute.

Speaker 1 That might be my best one in a long time.

Speaker 1 I can't follow that. I know I had that in me.

Speaker 1 Matt Rogers, Caper for Gay Incest on TV. I love it.
Grow up. Because all I'm saying is.
You're right. No, there was not this much noise during Game of Thrones.
No.

Speaker 1 Certainly nothing even approaching it. Yeah.
I think it's because, like,

Speaker 1 you can't really project yourself onto one of the characters of Game of Thrones and be like, that could really happen to my children. Do you know?

Speaker 1 But like, you're watching, you're like, I might be dating a guy who did, like,

Speaker 1 his brother.

Speaker 1 You know, like, or like, there's all of these things. Yeah, I'm telling you, it's these, well, let me, let me not, but let me.

Speaker 1 It's these families with a lot of money that things go back a very long time. That is where the weird stuff happens.
Weird stuff.

Speaker 1 And that it is, it is no mistake that they are that kind of like family and they're, they're engaging in this type of thing.

Speaker 1 And what I'll also say is that the discomfort with it is, and this is very intentional, I think, on Mike White's part, and he's been like this from the beginning.

Speaker 1 There is a fascination with the male butt, and it makes people think of gay sex and the ick factor therein. And I'm just saying that is the way we make love.
Get over it and grow up. And grow up.

Speaker 1 Fury of the abject.

Speaker 1 You don't like it because it's...

Speaker 1 poop is nearby. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 That's part of it. It's scatological.
It's

Speaker 1 scatological. And what I always think, like, is he doing a butt call for his male actors? Because it's always popping off.
A butt call. A butt call.
Adam Darka, we will not forget.

Speaker 1 Like, I'm just saying, like, it's, I see what that is. Yeah.

Speaker 1 And therapy. And it's very, it's Shakespearean, right?

Speaker 1 Like, to me, I feel like that's the cool thing about. the motifs he's using this season.
Like it feels very classical. Classical.
Yes, I would agree.

Speaker 1 And also, I really appreciate that in the second season, too, with the opera of it all. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 1 Like, I thought that that was, there's really, and you kind of, it blows my mind that he can make these shows. Obviously, they're, they are white lotus and they, they come with those themes.

Speaker 1 We, of course, have this very similar setup every season.

Speaker 1 But this, like, real commitment to and fascination with the culture surrounding the places he decides to explore, I think is even more impressive than people realize. Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 1 This season is incredible. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I've seen a lot of people who have a deep knowledge of Thai music history, of like the rock and the disco and all these different genres that have like moved through Thailand, like people being like, no, the way that they're you, the music supervising on the show is excellent.

Speaker 1 The way they're using Thai music is very, very, very like sophisticated. Yeah.

Speaker 1 I feel like Thailand for me feels like a character on the show this season. Of course.
And I think it's a beautiful love letter to the culture of Thailand.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 I learned when I was there, I had no idea. They've never been colonized.

Speaker 1 Oh, really? They've never been to war. Right.
And they call it the land of smiles. And so it's just the foundation of Thailand is this openness.
Yes. And it's pervasive.

Speaker 1 And it like the Thai crew was like

Speaker 1 every Thai hand that touched this production was just like

Speaker 1 did it out of love. And I've never been surrounded by that, you know, in the same way.

Speaker 1 And yeah, I think that like from music supervision to all of the things performances obviously i mean of course and just like they tapped like tie royalty to be a part of the show i mean lalisa of course this is segwaying into mine so fabulous yeah yeah i just feel like i mean it's impressive yeah this is segwaying with that segue i'm gonna whip out the phone and say bow and yang clearly has an i don't think so honey today yours is about too much being said about something mine is about not enough and with that too much not enough narrative this is Bowen Yang's.

Speaker 1 I don't think so, honey, his time starts now. I don't think so, honey.
There should be a huge din of conversation around Lalisa's performance in White Lotus Season 3.

Speaker 1 I'm not seeing enough chatter discourse about the groundedness with which she is performing this character. All the seats between her and Gaituck are so sweet.
I'm nervous for that.

Speaker 1 Something bad is going to happen there, and I don't like it. I don't like this feeling in me that I've been sitting with for weeks, but she is blowing me away.

Speaker 1 Obviously, Black Pink Stan, Lalise, Lalisa Stan for life.

Speaker 1 She was someone that my starstruck moment at the Oscars was honestly walking past her as I was coming off presenting and she was about to walk on for performing and we waved at each other.

Speaker 1 And I was like, oh my God, Lalise, that smile, that million dollar smile, I love Lalisa so much.

Speaker 1 Why aren't the gays talking about this more? Why aren't there more? You know, I just want to see the memes. I'm not seeing enough Lalisa memes.
I'm seeing a lot of Parker. We love Parker.

Speaker 1 I'm seeing a lot of Patrick. We love Patrick.
I need to see more.

Speaker 1 I need to see Belinda Memes. I need to see Lalisa Memes.
And that's one minute. And that's one minute.
You know what it is?

Speaker 1 It kind of goes hand in hand with the thing of like, oh, this season feels slow, feels slow, feels slow.

Speaker 1 No, I feel like this season is the most cinematic

Speaker 1 because what is going to happen. And I know with Lisa, I know there's a twist coming.

Speaker 1 I know that there's going to be something that goes down with her character that like makes it bigger than it is. And I feel like, because it has to be because it's her.
It's just so

Speaker 1 exceptional. i know i love her so much yes i met her mother on set she's so down to earth she's just real and so sweet and like

Speaker 1 just

Speaker 1 loves the craft of acting and like is so was so nervous to like really and she is like she would she would be out and about like if we were like oh let's go grab dinner here or whatever

Speaker 1 mobbed of course

Speaker 1 like in thailand like international superstar yes yeah like it was insane like beyonce level fandom over there. And she is so gracious and like kind.

Speaker 1 But the acting is out of this world. Out of this world.
Well, talk about someone who is used to working her fucking ass off. I mean, like,

Speaker 1 you know, have you seen the documentary? Yeah. Like, it's, it's

Speaker 1 made me watch it before it took before I went to shoot. I was like, I need to do some more research.
I can't just listen to the music. It's like, you need to watch the docs.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 We saw them at Coachella. It was like four machines.
Wow. It was, it was wild.
And I mean, like, a person like that, I would say, like I say about Beyonce,

Speaker 1 don't put anything past someone that works without you.

Speaker 1 I don't know. Oh, we need to find out.
I'm going to be a Virgo as well. I mean, I would feel like she moves like a Virgo, you know? We need to find out.
What are you? Can you guess?

Speaker 1 Wait, because I would have said Leo, but now as a result of this conversation, I don't know. Are you Scorpio? I'm Libra.
You're a Libra?

Speaker 1 Okay, so we had Kate Blanchette yesterday, and she was saying

Speaker 1 people who are Libras aren't necessarily as out and proud about their Libraness.

Speaker 1 Are you out and proud about your Libraness? I love my Libraness. A Libra is

Speaker 1 not something to not be proud of. No, no, I love it, but we were just saying, like, people, Libras don't feel like they need to tell everyone they're a Libra.

Speaker 1 Like, we're a Pisces and a Scorpio, and we're so loud and proud out here. Pisces, Scorpio, bestie.
No, 100%.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Water signs.
Okay. She's in Aries.
Oh!

Speaker 1 I like that. There's a fire.
There's a fire. I love that.
I like that. In fact,

Speaker 1 I was looking at

Speaker 1 one of those, like, you know, you know, swipe through Instagram things today that's like, here's what a cancer knee is.

Speaker 1 And it made a point about Pisces and Aries. So I might have to text La Lisa.

Speaker 1 I feel like you should.

Speaker 1 I'll get her information. She'll love that.
Oh, boy.

Speaker 1 She'll love it. Okay.
Is it time for your I don't think so, honey? I'm so nervous. Don't be.
Do not be. You're made for this moment.
Okay. Okay.
This is Natasha Rothwell's. I don't think so, honey.

Speaker 1 And her time starts now. I don't think so, honey.
Stop asking me about white lotus spoilers. First of all, the emotional labor black women have had to carry this country.

Speaker 1 I do not want a marry another person asking me to

Speaker 1 drop the bag that I have secured in an effort to make you sleep at night. It's not my job to make you sleep at night.
You need to put yourself to bed. Stop asking black women to heal you.

Speaker 1 Watch the fucking TV show. Get your answers by watching the show like everybody else.

Speaker 1 Let me enjoy the fact that I'm on something that's exciting and I don't have to walk around being worried that I'm gonna spoil something because you keep trying to sneak in questions.

Speaker 1 And do you really think you in the middle of Target that you, sir, that I just met and don't know, you're the one that's gonna make me give up the ghost? No.

Speaker 1 Come and go fuck yourself and stop going in the 15 items or over.

Speaker 1 You know you got 20 items. You're a liar.
I'm not. And I'm not telling you fuck shit about the show.
Watch. I don't think so, honey.
And that's one minute. Amazing.

Speaker 1 High energy items in somebody's today.

Speaker 1 Yeah, these are some high oxygen. It's not going to be you, man.

Speaker 1 It's not going to be me. And it's not going to be you, and it's not going to be the man in Target.
Man in Target, the bell boy, the guy in the cat. Like, people have been harassing me.

Speaker 1 It's like, you want to tell them you don't want it. You don't want to find out this way.
No!

Speaker 1 You don't want to find out this way. Experience it through the viewing process, like the way it's meant to be.

Speaker 1 I think also White Lotus is hearkening back to the way, you know, it's water cooler television.

Speaker 1 It's once a week and it's just like appointment television and folks are so gimme, gimme, gimme, they can't wait. Do you know what I mean? And so for me, I'm just like, give in to what this show is.

Speaker 1 You know, it's hearkening back to like fucking Dallas. They had hour-long

Speaker 1 episodes, you know, like being able to tell a story over time. I feel like the anxiety of the culture is just like making people

Speaker 1 need more and more and more. And it gets people mean about it too.
Yes. Like I find that that's obviously trickle down to online blah, blah, blah, boring conversation about how Twitter sucks.

Speaker 1 But what I'm saying is we should be so lucky to be in a time when we have an HBO prestige show that is water cooler on every Sunday night. We are always living in a better world when that is the case.

Speaker 1 Yes. And it feels like we had a golden age there.
And now we kind of like, you know, we're just. To put it mildly, we are eating right now.
Yeah. Yeah.
And so enjoy your food. Enjoy.

Speaker 1 Slowly. Chew, swallow, take time to digest because more courses are.
And I'm not going to be the one. Like, I like work too hard.
No.

Speaker 1 I was like, if anybody's got loose lips, it's Parker. That's just true.
Yeah, I think she's already slip. She's already slap.
What is she saying? No, wait, did she? She said suck.

Speaker 1 She was, I think it was, it was on Fallon or something. Someone came out and said, oops, I accidentally said something wrong.
Maybe this is about something else.

Speaker 1 No, it's not on the text chain yet. Oh, yeah.
Okay. So maybe, I don't know.

Speaker 1 Maybe we'll cut this out. But, I mean, you've been sitting on this information for like a year at this point anyway, right? No, longer.

Speaker 1 Higher Bob. So I got cast before the strike.
Oh, and I was sitting on it secretly while I was shooting How to Die Alone.

Speaker 1 Then they announced it thinking we were going to shoot that October. And then the strike.

Speaker 1 So I was the only one announced. And then no one else was announced.
And for a whole year. Oh,

Speaker 1 well, yes. Well, no, that was when was the strike? May? May.
May May through. I didn't shoot again until I got to Thailand in February.
Lord.

Speaker 1 So I've been sitting on it for that plus, so two years. Almost two years.
Yeah. You're not going to give up the ghost.
No. No, no.
Two years in. No.

Speaker 1 Mr. Mayo.
I'm targeting a Target.

Speaker 1 We're not going to Target right now. Change the policies.
Change your policies.

Speaker 1 I will admit, I did go in yesterday to buy the exclusive Gaga Minal. Okay.
Well,

Speaker 1 but I think people on threads at least have, have given each other a pass. Yes.
The little monster's been like, you can go to Target just to buy the vinyl. But I've been proud of myself.

Speaker 1 My Amazon and Target shopping way down. Has the Chick-fil-A consumption? Chick-fil-A consumption is virtually gone as well.

Speaker 1 Virtually gone as he picks chicken out of his tea. Yeah, you smell like the flu.
I'm proud of myself, though. It's not easy for me.

Speaker 1 My addiction to both Target and Amazon, Amazon, like, obviously on the blackout day, I didn't adjust it. This is, this is chic.
It felt chic, but here's some shady shit. I had filled up my cart.
Wait.

Speaker 1 Did you press by? For 24 hours later?

Speaker 1 Period. Press it.
That's okay. Did you follow the vlog? I followed the vlog.
I was like, today I'm not going to press by, but tomorrow morning, I'm going to press by.

Speaker 1 You better believe at the stroke of 12, I was like, all right. I'm going to go.
You're going to be

Speaker 1 now, bro. No, but you should have seen me driving around LA with two miles of gas in my car.

Speaker 1 I was like, I can't. I was like getting where I need to go, like on empty because you couldn't get gas that day.
Oh, God. I was like, now this is the true task.
This is the true tissue.

Speaker 1 Can you guess somewhere on two miles? Like, how much do you want to blackout?

Speaker 1 I wanted it bad. Oh,

Speaker 1 I'm proud of us. I'm proud of us.
We are changing the world. Yeah.

Speaker 1 One

Speaker 1 economic blackout at a time. Absolutely.
You certainly are.

Speaker 1 God, what a long time coming. What a long time coming.
We just so enjoyed having you here. I want to do this again.

Speaker 1 No, you have to come out. Also, let's hang out without Mike's and 100%.
So we can really say

Speaker 1 that.

Speaker 1 We will be the guys.

Speaker 1 Okay, so I mean, obviously, White Lotus, Sunday nights. We're, I guess, six episodes are at right now.
We're coming up on that finale.

Speaker 1 Obviously, watch everything that Tasha does because it's the best ever. I mean, we just adore you.
Thank you, Tasha, for making time for us.

Speaker 1 Truly thrilled for you. So happy.

Speaker 1 No one is more like up in this.

Speaker 1 i mean unfortunately you're like up on this pedestal but the thing is you've been up on that pedestal for so long for us and you have never ever ever ever disappointed us and that's not pressure or anything it's just it's just our love it's pressure no it's just that we love you so much ditto and just know that like i'm rooting for y'all so heavy like everything you touch now or will touch i'm like just know that i'm in your corner and for me

Speaker 1 watching what each of you guys do and how you have come together to like, like, it's just beautiful to see, especially in the comedy community, that kind of support.

Speaker 1 And I think that, like, what you do, I mean, it's, it's smart, it's timely, it's needed. And I'm just like, I just want to keep putting a mic to you so that way.

Speaker 1 your voices can continue to be amplified because the world needs you. Oh my God.
That is the kindest thing anyone's ever said. Thank you so much.
Just true. I mean, this is so meaningful.

Speaker 1 And I feel we do end every episode with a song and people have been talking about how they haven't been hearing this enough.

Speaker 1 But when this theme jumped out in the show, I was like, okay, I think this is Mike White telling us White Lotus is about to White Lotus.

Speaker 1 We all know the refrain.

Speaker 1 Come on, Derek. How to throw some grease in there.

Speaker 1 Bye.

Speaker 1 Lost Culture East. This is the production by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeartRadio Podcasts.
Created and hosted by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

Speaker 1 Executive produced by Anna Hosnier and produced by Becca Ramos. Edited and mixed by Doug Babe and Monique Laborde.
And our music is by Henry Komersky.

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