Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen - Jane Levy on Finding Signs

Episode Date: September 1, 2025

Rachel and Olivia sit down with Jane Levy (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist) to talk about her journey as a new mom, her role in the new movie A Little Prayer, and their take on what’s buzzing in pop culture.Go to Dupe.com today and find similar products for less. It’s 100% free to use. Stop wasting money on brand names and start saving with Dupe.com today.Watch this episode on YouTube!Like the show? Rate Broad Ideas 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyThis is a Headgum podcast. Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Advertise on Hollywood Handbook via Gumball.fm See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a Headgum podcast. Hax is back for its fifth and final season, and so is The Hacks podcast. Join the Hacks creators and showrunners, Lucia and Yello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky as they unpack the Emmy-winning comedy series. On each episode, here's stories from the set, what goes on in the writer's room,

and how these beloved characters close out their final season. Watch Hax streaming exclusively on HBO Max and listen to The Hax podcast, on HBO Max or wherever you get your podcasts. Sometimes we'll talk about dogs and kids and things. We'll talk about chicks and tampon strings. We'll talk about boys. Because people die.

Welcome to broad ideas. Hi. Hey. Hi. Hi. Kevin, hi. Hi, everyone. How are we doing?

I think we're doing good. Right? Yeah. Doing great. Great. Today we have a guest that I swore to myself. I've known and know really well. But we met today, and she is very lovely.

And we had a great conversation with her. We have Jane Levy on. Very excited. She has a new movie coming out called A Little Prayer. Everyone should go check it out. Very important information. Yes, check it out. And check out this interview.

Kevin and Jane would probably have a great conversation right now because Kevin's baby and you've got a baby. You're in it. Yeah. I mean, nine months is really, it feels like I'm starting to become part of the world again, partially because I'm going back to work now, like today and next week I'm shooting my first. Well, that's not true. I shot a small part in a movie. Today you're going back to work?

Well, I'm considering this work. Oh. I'm like, wait, what? I was like, you're doing this, and then you have to, like, rush to set? What's happening? No, no. But I am going to West Virginia in a week from today to shoot a movie. And I did a small part in a movie in June, like five days of work.

And then this one is, like, everyday, also night shoots. What are you going to do? Well, my husband's coming and we're bringing our trusted lovely nanny. So. Thank goodness. Yeah, I mean, I'm really nervous. Yeah. I mean, my daughter's 10 and I was just talking to her grandma like yesterday and I'm like, I can't go to work. Like I have a kid. Like how am I supposed to work those? Like a crazy person? She's 10. I fully can. But mentally as a mom, it's just hard to adjust and be like, because we know the hours and everything else are just so crazy. Yeah. It's complicated. It's like two when you're working, I mean, any job, you're having two full-time jobs because a parent, you're never not parenting. Yeah. No. You're never not parenting.

Wait, do you have a little girl or a boy? I have a little boy. Oh. Yeah. I walked out here to get my earphones and my son's out there butt out being like, I just poop the potty. I need help. And I was like literally coming out of this for two seconds and there it is. It never ends.

Well, good job to him. He sticks. Oh. Still, oh my God, I'm like, still good job. Yeah. Still, really good job. Still, really good job. I couldn't, Jane, I felt like I interviewed you before.

Did I make that up in my head? I did, right? I don't think so. I fully in my mind, okay? Not only have we met, like, I've interviewed, like, whole conversation. And I don't know what it is. And I don't know if it's because, like, Peter Gallagher and you work together on Zoe's extraordinary playlist, right?

And in my head, I just thought, like, either I was on the show with you guys or, like, I fully was there. I'm like, no, I know her. I've talked to her. Anyway. That's how I felt when I met Peter. I felt like I knew him because he was, like, our universal dad from watching that to see. Yeah. And then also one of my first jobs was with Josh and Stephanie on a movie called Fun Size.

Oh, you were a long time ago. But anyways, I don't, I don't think we've ever actually. met. Well, I was at the Fun Size premiere for sure. Okay. Well, then maybe we did meet. Maybe we met there. But anyway, I've obviously known who you are and admired your work and everything for a long time because of the ties and everything else.

Thank you. Ditto. Fun Size was a cute movie. I really, really enjoyed that. Josh directed it, Olivia. Oh, really? Yeah. Josh directed it.

I don't remember that. Well, you know, this is like some insider info. But also, this is just my. side of the story. I don't know if this is actually true, but supposedly I was about to get the part of the lead role. Supposedly, Paramount was like, she's not, like, I had not been in anything other than shameless, and I had done a pilot for an ABC show that ended up being a show, but like, Paramount was basically like, we're not going to put, we're not going to put our chances on somebody completely unknown. And so, and I had like, I remember the audition process. I, like, killed it. We, I got a

with Josh and Stephanie so well I was like so we all like we're basically told that I was going to get the part and then Paramount was like no and then they offered me the friend which was like so much fun and I actually met my husband on that movie what and now I have a baby with that man yeah mm-hmm you met your husband on that that is wild a really fun movie and a great experience and I met great friends and my husband and now my son exists because of fun size oh and your son is fun size because he's nice to say it's so cute. Yeah. But it was a very fun movie for sure.

And it's just like Josh and Stephanie are the best. And the fact that you got to work with them is really cool. And that's the only thing actually, the only movie Josh has directed. I think for whatever reason he was like, I don't know if I can do that again. He directed it also on film. We shot on film. Wow. Yeah.

That's very cool. Very cool. Yeah. I have like some intel, like. for the casting process and everything, but we'll share that off mic. Wow. But it was fun-sized.

Fun-sized stuff. But yeah, you've been working forever, and you're just so talented, and we're just excited that you're here to talk to us because we are fans. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Yeah.

Watched a little prayer last night. I loved it. Thanks. I love, can I talk about you about what I love? Your reaction. Thanks. I'm actually really excited to talk about it.

It's a movie I'm really proud of. I'm really happy it's finally coming out because we shot it three years ago. And yeah. I feel like it's the kind of movie that is for actors. The actors, like when you decide you want to be an actor, those are the reasons why.

It reads kind of almost the same way reading a play does where it's so character driven. There's no big bells and whistles. You're not watching things explode. You're really connecting to the tricky parts about being human. And I think you guys did an excellent job, especially all of you, but especially you in that quiet human experience. Thank you so much. Well, it was written by a play, right? So that's probably what I felt like a play. Yeah. And yeah, it's rare that movies are made these days without any, I don't know, again, these are these phrases. I'm like, can't I think of something else? But like cheap thrills, you know, there's no big events other than like relational events, which are big, you know, as humans. But it was a quiet movie. a small movie. We shot it with a very small, with a very small budget three years ago. And I,

you know, there was like a complicated thing with the release. There was strikes. There was a lot of stuff that delayed it. And I just sort of was like coming to terms with no one will ever see it. And then music box films decided to release it this year. And I'm so glad. I think it's a pretty interesting time because it's not a political movie. But, but there is an abortion storyline. And I think these characters are probably, if not, I don't like this term, pro-life themselves. This is an area where most people are.

And yet, abortion happens. Yeah. Me being like, hi, nice to me. Thanks for having me on your podcast. Let's talk about abortion immediately. Let's talk about abortions. No, that's our favorite. That's our favorite topic.

I'm not going to why it was surprising. Like, I just didn't see that coming. And when I did, I was like, oh, wow, that's a brave topic that they're covering and done in a really empathetic way with a lot of, you know, trouble around it. It wasn't just lightly dismissed. I feel like I loved how we got. to see the other people's relationship to it, not just the women's or even the man's at all. Or their relationship together, yeah.

Yeah, it wasn't about that, but we did get to see the other people it affects, which was interesting. We shot the scene where my character is in the clinic, post-abortion on the day that they reversed Roe versus Wade. Stop, I just got chilled all over my It was so crazy. So it was like, I'm sure you experience there's so much bad news all the time that you just sort of like at some point it's like it's hard to like focus on any one nightmare that's happening.

And so there was like talk of that being a possibility at the time. But I just didn't. It was just another fucked up headline in our time. And so it wasn't on my mind at all. And then, you know, this scene as an actor, you know, when there's like a charge scene or emotional scene, you're like stressed about it. And I was like, okay, that scene, you know, anything's, any reaction to what she's going through is valid. Like, we don't have to see tears. It doesn't have to be like fireworks.

It can just be like she goes in and she gets this procedure. I don't know what's going to happen. And then, you know, I did a lot of work on this character, which I can talk about. But, you know, I prepared. I've been already shooting this movie. I've been inside playing this part. So I have all my work and I, like, show up that day. And there's no green room because it's an independent movie.

So there's just like a shared little room off the side of the set. It's not even a set. It's just like an office. and I was like putting in my headphones trying to breathe trying to get calm and so I could be as present as possible for the scene and my mom texted me the fuckers did it and I was like what fuckers did what like and then I read the news and it was just one of those moments where you're like wow the the the synchronicity like is this so kismet this is like kismet's not right word because I feel like that's like a good thing but I am just I was just

like this is so profoundly like unbelievable that this is happening literally like 20 minutes before I shot the scene. And so that's probably in there also in that scene is my like sorrow about that. And I left that day feeling so lucky that I'm an actor because I was like, wow, I got to take that experience today. of rage and heartbreak and all sorts of other emotions. And then I got to do something with it. And then now this film exists.

And now the Center for Reproductive Rights is teamed with the movie because they really liked that scene and the story and the way that it's told. And they felt like it's not always told this way, this kind of story. And so at first I was like, why do we have to make it like politicize? Like let's let the work speak for itself. But then I was like, wait, this is the whole point of being an artist. You create art and then people want to have like actual important discussions after it. How lucky am I that I get to be a part of that.

So yeah. Wow. I mean, so powerful and the fact that like you have them backing the movie and and supporting it. It's what it's just such the timing and the topic, you know? I mean, I can't believe while you film that scene. I really just can't get over that that happened. I know. There's, I don't know.

if you guys have had those moments in your life where you're just like, what? Like, this is small and really insignificant. But yesterday, I went and got a coffee on my way to the farmer's market in Hollywood. And I was like, they were playing Janet Jackson. I was like, damn, Janet Jackson is so good. I never listened to Janet Jackson. And I was like, listen to Janet Jackson today. How great is that? And then I put my baby in the stroller and I like walked on to like to the farmer's market. And the first star I saw it was Janet Jackson. Oh, I love it. And I was like, what does it mean? Oh, I love that. It means you're exactly where you're supposed to be. At least that's what I think. Like, those are the confirmations that you wouldn't get. And here's the bigger, to me, the bigger takeaway.

It's like, it could be Janet Jackson. It could be a daisy. It doesn't matter what the sign is that you ask for or even if you're not and you're just tuned into it. the fact that you're present to catch it is what tells you you're in the right place. Because most of the time when we're in our head or we're not present, we don't see all those signs and serendipities that are existing all the time. I like that. I'll take it. Yeah. I want to go back to your performance in that scene for a second because it's interesting that obviously the timing of that is incredibly heavy.

and probably gave you a lot of the pain that you accessed. But one of the things that I loved about what I saw in that was you just go through this experience of having an abortion, but it didn't feel, and I could be totally off. This could just be my perception. It didn't feel the pain that you were going through and that you showed in that. Yes, there's the pain in giving up the possibility. of a child, the possibility of a relationship, all of that. But what, oh my God, it makes me cry. But what I felt in that scene was your empathy for yourself.

Yeah. Like the empathy for like what I'm experiencing is painful and versus I'm in pain because these things are, it wasn't victimy. It wasn't like these things are happening to me. It was like there was a pain of like, you being present with what you were going through at the time. Thank you. That's really beautiful. That's a beautiful thing to say. Yeah, I mean, the nurse says in the scene, should I walk you to your car? Was there anybody out there implying, like, are there protesters?

Do you need me? And that's when, if you notice, that's what makes Tammy break down. is she says, I think right after that, I'm not just doing this for me. I think that there's a lot of strength in her choice and her choice not in just having an abortion, but her choice and not staying with her husband. And yeah, I think you're right. I think there's a strength in her conviction that this is the right thing for her, for the family. Like she doesn't want to have a baby with somebody who is an alcoholic, who is suffering from PTSD, who doesn't like confront it, who is also having an affair with another woman and is possibly abusive.

But I don't think Tammy knows that. I think deep down she knows that she can't do it with this person, but I don't think she knows necessarily about his other life. Well, thank you about, I thank you for saying that. And like I said before, it's just so cool that I got to make something that is starting discussions. You know, like some people I know have watched this movie and then there's so much to talk about afterward. And I feel that that's what that's, it's bringing people together. And I guess that's also what's good about theater. I think playwrights have this ability to sort of ask a question and not necessarily answer it.

But it's a question we all understand so deeply and we could all try to answer it separately. But together, you know, I don't know if that makes sense. Yeah. No, it totally makes sense. I... You what? I said that's why theater is so good because it's simple. So did you start in theater? Actually, I know you're from L.A.

You were born in L.A., too? I was born in L.A., but I actually just asked my mom this this week. We moved from L.A. when I was three months old. So I was born in Santa Monica. That's what's on my birth certificate. But I've lived... I grew up in Northern California. Oh. Okay. Whereabouts?

In Marin County. Oh, beautiful. That sounds nice. Yeah, actually, my family, my husband and baby and I spent the last two months there, and we just go back to L.A. Yes. Saturday. Oh, wow. Yeah, we're like, we're like playing with the idea of moving there permanently. Yeah. Does they feel different now that you have a baby? Totally. Like the minute I had a baby, I was like, I don't know.

I don't have a lot of friends with kids here. And I had a baby that hated the car. And so, like, I just felt so isolated at home. And then the fires happen. And then I was scared of their quality. And I don't know. I just, yes. And also, I want to be near my mom and my family and my brother who has kids.

But I haven't figured it out yet. But I wonder if once he gets older, it'll be a city that I find easier with a kid. But with a tiny baby, it was isolating for me. Yeah. I mean, it's so funny because you hear so many people now, like, leaving L.A. and stuff. And I understand the baby of it all. I think having an older kid. I mean, there's parts.

There's still great things about it. I find myself, like, getting a little defensive because I feel bad for, like, the city. Because I was born and raised there, Olivia, raised there, too. And it just feels a little, like, complex the relationship with it right now. Right. Yeah. Like, I think everyone's discussing, like, alternatives. But I think you should defend it.

I think I want to hear your defense of L.A. It's so funny, though, because I'm the one that's online, like, every day looking at houses everywhere else to be like, okay, where are we going to move? Right. Well, we all do that. Yeah, that's true. There's, like, a certain thing, like, Instagram, like, homes and other places like that is, like, an escape fantasy. I think we all partake in. Of course.

But for me, I think it's more family, like. My mom is a very involved grandma. My cousin has a baby three months younger than Desmond, my son. My brother has two kids. Oh, my God. Wait. That's Kevin's baby's name, too. Stop it.

Yes. That is so crazy. Another synchronicity. Right? Right. Wow. Desmond is not a common name. Wow, that is so funny.

No. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I love that. Well, well, it. I'm meant to be here today, it's clear. Yeah, that's so crazy. Yeah, you are.

Well, for you guys, it's probably your whole family's in LA then. Yeah. So then. Yeah. It is different. I would have moved like by my mom with my baby. Yeah. Yeah.

It's, you know, for us, it's different because we also grew up here. So all our best friends, like we've been best friends since we were young. we are extended family. It's like you have that community and we moved away for a bit and it was like, where are my people? And so you want,

if you have access to your mom or your friends with other kids, like the whole thing does really make you crave a village in a way that you probably never have. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And then your job takes you so many places too.

So nothing, nothing. shoots in LA. But I've been here for 15 years. Like I definitely, this is, you know, my home. And I love L.A. But I might move. What about your husband? An actor, too?

He is. That's why we met on Fun Size. But he mostly makes paintings and sculptures. He's an artist. But that's awesome. Oh, that is so cool. Yeah. It's very Marin.

Yeah, that's true. It's very Marin. It's giving Marin. It's giving Marin. Well, that is super neat. And then, okay, so you have your nine-month-old baby. You're doing the whole thing. What, like, becoming a mom.

I mean, it's so cliche. Like, what have you learned? So much. So much. But it's just, like, such a different thing, you know? and like everything you go through, I guess we like to get into it and we like to know, you know, all the things like giving birth, mentally, physically, just everything that's kind of like affected you as a human. We really like to hear these stories.

Well, so many. The first thing that comes to mind when you say like what has changed, I had so much time to be self-obsessed. Like, I had a kid at 34 and I realized, I just had too much time and too much privilege to be so neurotic about like everything about myself. And now that I have a baby and I'm not just like self-obsessed, I feel like happier. I feel like at ease. I feel like I have less anxiety because things are immediate and it's about this other person. And that just feels like a way better way of living.

That's one thing. I had an emergency C-section. Wasn't you two? Two. Yeah. So the second one wasn't planned? Well, the second one was, well, the second one was planned, but it came sooner than planned. Oh.

So it wasn't the way it was supposed to be. And how do you feel? But it is the way it was supposed to be. Right. How are you like, how do you feel about it? I feel great about both of them. I think that, you know, you make your plan and you do what you can do, and then you surrender to what's supposed to happen.

And in my case, it was a situation where both of my children probably would have died otherwise. So I'm great with it, you know. That's how I feel, too. I don't consider my birth traumatic at all. I mean, I think it's traumatic if you don't feel like your needs are being taken seriously. or if you are being coerced and doing something you don't want to do. But I didn't feel like that. I just felt like, okay, this is what's happening now.

And this is the safest thing for me and the baby. And let's do it. Did you go into labor? No. So I was humongous. Like I was the person that everyone was like, I'm you're getting twins. Like, you know, like this is not an exaggeration. When I went, I ended up getting induced.

So when I went to the hospital to check in, my foot didn't feel. fit in crocs. It was so small. I couldn't fit. It was like, it was hell. So I'm really short. And some people are like, petite people gain more weight. Whatever. I was so big. And so they were like, the baby's huge. The baby's huge. She's not going to come out. And I was like, okay, I've read all this stuff. Like the doctors like to say this. Even though I trusted and loved my doctor, I was like, my mom is small. She had a big baby. My son, my son, Jesus, my brother. I was a small baby. But my brother was huge. She had a vaginal birth with him.

She's my height. Like, I can handle it. And they were like, no, no, no. He's huge. And also, not only is he huge, his head is huge. And, you know, and I was like, okay, well, what are the risks? And they're like, well, you can have something called shoulder dystosia where, like, they have to break the baby's clavicle to get them out.

And so they started to scare me. And they were like, we want to induce you at 39 weeks. And I was like, no. I was like, I don't want it. What's going to happen if you? We don't. And she was like, well, nothing's going to happen, but I really think that that's the right thing to do. And I was like, no, I think I think I would just want to wait and I want to like go into like, like I really wanted the like, wow, I'm going into labor, stay at home with your partner, labor as long as possible. Like the hospital didn't sound fun. And then I think it was like five days after my due date that finally I thought, you know, that was pushing it another 14 days past. my doctor's recommendation or 10 days or something.

And I was like, I don't feel comfortable, like, still going against what my doctor wants me to do. I should just throw in the towel and say, like, let's, you can induce me. But I was, so they thought the baby was between 9 and 10 pounds. He ended up being 8 pounds. But he did end up having a head in the 95th percentile. So, wow. He did have a really big head.

Yeah. But he, I never even got to Potosin with the induction because he was in a very rare position called face presentation, which is like they're literally coming out of the cervix like this, which is like very evil dead of me, which is like very horrible. They checked my cervix and they were like, oh, that's a mouth and a nose. And so he was upside down like this. And so his neck is like, so babies need to be able to like swim out like this, but he can't if he was like that.

So there was other complications too, which was like I can just go over it quickly, which was really scary. Sometimes when they lose a baby's heartbeat, I don't know if this happened to you guys. That happened to me. They put an electrode. Did they do that? I all I knows he would flatline and then.

So that happened to us. And so they do this thing where they put an electrode up your vagina and they screwed into the baby's scalp. Why? No, they didn't do that to me. So they did that, which I guess is pretty routine, but because he was face presentation, they put it in his face.

Oh, God. And that's when they were like, we need to get this baby out immediately because we don't know where we put it. What? Yeah. So I know it was so scary. Me being like, I don't have first trauma. But it was. I was like, are you sure?

I have trauma for you. What the fuck? And so when he came out, it was right here in his, in his eyebrow, which it could have poked his eye and blinded him. Thank God it didn't. Holy! I know. He had a black eye. His lips were all swollen.

And he was like, I know, that poor little. Desmond. I know. And he's like, he's okay. And so anyways, me being like, I remember before being like, maybe I don't want an epidural. Maybe I. And now I have like literally the most medicated birth you could have. And my baby's wonderful.

And I feel so grateful that he's healthy. And, you know, having a C-section is pretty brutal. but it's survivable and does he have a scar from where they put the no it's like nothing okay that is i've never heard of that before have you olivia heard husband's a doctor so i'm always like yeah i remember when i was doing that because my little one all kinds of shit won't go into but i had to have ultrasounds every week and people were like that's so bad for the baby like you shouldn't be doing that

tired of that kind of. And I'm like, if I hadn't have done that, he would have died, like, literally. And so it's, it's, to me, I think the biggest thing for moms is surrendering your plan and continuing to go with your gut, because everybody's got an opinion on what you should be doing. What's healthy? What's not what's this what's that and for some it works and some need to be in a hospital totally and i you know interestingly i actually fired my dula two weeks before i gave birth because she was scaring me so much and she was like she felt like a meanwhile like i am from california i'm from morin county i am all for like alternative stuff and like taking care of ourselves but uh she felt like a general in the war against the medical system and I was like her soldier and I was like I want to feel

taking care of. I'm like I don't want to feel scared that if my that if I have to have it like who knows what like if I take pain killers because I'm in so much pain after that you're going to judge me for it or something like I don't she came over and she was like babies cannot be on the carpet because like carpet has like flame and I was like okay I understand like again I buy organic sheets I'm like a privileged ass white lady who's like interested in all that like bougie shit but I'm also like I'm I it just felt I didn't felt I didn't feel held I felt like yep it was a lot of fear I kick mine out of the room amazing oh my god that's like making this an anti-dula podcast I fully believe in like having an advocate

and there are amazing doulas yeah mine wasn't right for me so dude mine was amazing but I had a substitute Dula and she came and I was like, I need her out of here. Because I felt judged. Yeah. And that doesn't feel safe. And like for a Dula, like, I feel like you can have your, you know, opinions on what you feel is right and what you feel is wrong. That doesn't mean you're right. Totally.

It really doesn't. Because for some people, medicine is an absolute necessity. Totally. And you need to be given the space. to make your own choices and a doula should be there to help support you in your choices. Rub your feet while you go into your intuition and decide for yourself. A hundred percent. Yeah. And also like, I mean, this is a bigger conversation, but I feel like, you know, I, in certain situations, I feel like you really would benefit from having an advocate.

Like, I had a really fancy doctor at a really fancy hospital that was paying out of pocket for, you like insurance didn't cover it. But if you are just like inside this medical system, of course, I do think that sometimes the doctors are purring patients into decisions because of, you know, whatever. I just want to say that I really do think that it's valuable to have birth support for me. And I totally hear what you're saying. And I thank God you had the self-knowledge to know what you needed and we're able to ask for it in the room. And that's the, that's the number one thing for. Yeah. But that was the mama bear in me

because I was in such insane labor that I, it was like, it wasn't even a decision. And I am a people pleaser to my core. Like, I would be like, well, she's going to be upset. I can't. And it's like, those contractions were so hard. It was like a bear took over me. And I was like, get her out. You know. Damn, so you like fully labored and then had a C-section. 48 hours on potosin. Oh, my God. I tried so hard to do it natural.

Oh, my God. My husband was a liver. It was the whole thing. Your husband, what? Was going to deliver the baby. Oh, so your husband's like a obese? He's an actual doctor. He's family medicine, but he delivered like thousands of babies by that point.

So he was going to. Oh, my God. I know. makes me want to do it again just to have him do it but never again. She's done. She has two boys. Yeah. Wow. What an experience though. That's so crazy. I don't know why. I've never even asked like stories about people who have babies. I just felt like asking you things and I'm getting all the things. You really have it. I know. It's really weird. I don't know. I guess I felt something. But my postpartum has been really a great experience. Like I had

a really easy time breastfeeding. We're still breastfeeding. I love breastfeeding. I'm I when I, I as you know, like it's impossible to put any of this experience into words. But there has been like five times in the past couple months where I looked at my husband and been like, this is the happiest moment of my life. This is the happiest moment of my life. Like just sitting in the bath and like looking at my son's shoulder blades, happiest moment of my life. Isn't it? It's so crazy we create these people, you know? And it goes so fast, though. Oh, God. I'm scared. I know that you have a baby. I'm like, I just watch videos of my child as a baby. And I'm just like, I long for that. And I mean, you have to, you know, accept them like every stage. Of course. And like, she's amazing now. But, oh, when they're little. I really miss it. And my daughter will ask me, she goes, Mom.

do you miss me? Do you miss me like that? Do you miss me little? Because sometimes I miss me little. And I'm like, you know, I'm like, what? She's like a really deep thinker.

She does not take after me. No, she's really like, she gets into it and she asks so many questions as child. It sounds really fun to have a young girl. Like if, like, I love having a girl. Oh, she's my best friend. Like, especially. now because she's 10 and we traveled so much this summer like and you know a lot of the times it's

just her and I and like whatever but she's my best friend it's so fun and that's really sweet it's really sweet it's very cool very cool when you travel together do you sleep in bed together we see yeah we sleep in bed together at home too oh cute inseparable she's 10 and still you know but then again you're like one day i won't have this and yeah i mean it sounds so fun to me to have a 10 year old water. That sounds like... It's pretty amazing. Like, I'm super, super happy. Like, just, it's such a fun stage. You know, it's, like, different. And she can do things on her own, and which is nice. And she helps out, and she wants to cook and she wants to do... I mean, it's not like she's doing laundry or anything,

but she's definitely wanting to do things. It's very sweet. And, yeah, I mean, it's amazing. Is she going to want to be an actress? Oh, God. Can you tell? I hope not. I think maybe a little bit. Like she, yeah, her dad's an actor as well. So she has it in her.

Yeah. She does have it in her. Even when she's like her dances and like she's a natural performer. She's a performer. She's very, like everything she emotes like is very expressive. And, you know, she's, she's pretty funny. She was like on set the other night watching her dad work. I know.

Not her working. But yeah, she's just so. So yes, she's a performer. We'll see. Her school has a wonderful theater department. I fully support that, but there will be no professional anything until she's done with school. Sure.

Yes. And Olivia, what about your boys? What are they like? My boys are awesome. They're crazy. They're boys. Boys are different than girls, you know. it's just the truth.

I want to show a picture that you sent me of Elliot yesterday. You have to see this. Okay. How old are they six and what? Six and nine. Can you just for a second? Oh my God, what a beauty. Holy, holy, holy.

Right? Wow. Like what is that? But what is that? Wow. He's a creature. He's so cool. It's funny because you don't know how your kids are going to come out.

And like Elliot is he's got the cool factor. He's the older one? Yeah. He's, well, Shepard, the younger one. So Shepard is special needs. He's on a different path in life. He's missing a chromosome, but he has gained a chromosome of swag. Like nobody I've ever known in my life.

I've never seen anybody own a room more. No. That's six year olds. Wow. Yeah, it's very cool. And so it's cool to see. It's really wild to watch them becoming who they are. And you go, God, that's not taught.

Like, that's just innate in them. Yeah, I'm really curious about Desmond because I can tell he already has a personality, but I can't quite put my finger on it. But I feel like it's one of those things that when he's older, I'm going to be like, oh, yeah, I saw that when he was nine months old. Mm-hmm. 100% like Elliot gets the beat and he got the beat at that age. You'd be like, how are you knowing when to laugh at the appropriate moment?

And then I look back now and I'm like he's always had that kind of rhythm. That's cool. My son is the opposite. I tell him a story and he lost at all the wrong part. I'm like, no, no, no, this isn't the funny part. You're like, you don't have the timing. Yeah. Oh my God.

That's so cute. That's really funny. It's so sweet. Can we talk about this for a second? It's really, and by the time this comes out, it's probably going to be outdated. But watching your movie last night, I was like, can we talk about the cold play situation? Because. Affair or what?

Yes. Watching a movie about an affair while watching the world explode in this kind of takedown of an affair. to me brings up a really important conversation. And I have some real mixed feelings about it, but I want to know what your guys' thoughts are on it. My first thought was they should not have reacted and no one would have even noticed them. Duh.

That's what you said too. I was like, oh, wait, comforting that that was your first thought. That's my first thought as like my professional. But yeah, but I mean, it's a natural reaction, right? Like, I don't know. Jane, you please share it. I feel like I have a pretty disappointing response, which I was kind of like, who cares about these people? Like, why are we so close with this moment?

Like, I don't. That's too bad for their spouses. Like, I don't know. I was so, it's funny because I was like talking about this with some people. Recently we had like some beer and there was one of my friends. It was like, I've become obsessed with it. And I was like, I don't have that. So I'm curious about what you think the obsession is.

Well, here's what I'm going to say. And obviously, everybody has their own opinion. It really bothers me. It really bothers me in the sense of, obviously, they fucked up. But the world at large fucks up constantly. And nobody is without things. that other people are going to judge them for. And I think to take human beings' lives and make it this kind of circus, if you will.

And we, nobody knows, like they even say it in your movie. Nobody knows what goes on in someone's marriage. Right. So we don't actually know the backstory. We don't know the context. I'm not saying it's right to have affairs. But I think to take someone's life and demean it. to a moment is so wrong as a society that we're dragging them through this.

That man's poor wife, first of all, like, you think she wants that? I doubt it. Totally. You know? I just also think that it's so gross that what we honestly brings up a big point of like what we do to people. And it bums me out as a society. I'm like, you know, some of the people sharing.

this, posting this, that, and the other, they've probably cheated on their spouse. Or be part of something that we would judge as, you know, disturbing or whatever it is. I just think as a society, we kind of suck when it comes to taking people in a spotlight and then just dragging them. I agree. I agree. And like the joy, the like glee people get from that is pretty dark. I'm like, that's the kind of stuff. I worry about people like taking their lives or like, you know, like what that's actually going to do to a human if you would have just let them figure out their marital business on their own. Right. Totally.

Yeah. That's like online, social media, like all of it. It's just people like we're like living in a time that's really fucked up because everything's out there and it's instant and it's viral. It just people all feel like they have the right to an opinion on it. Yeah. And it's like inherently like just super immature. Right. Right. I know. I mean, I thought it was funny like when I saw it. Yeah. Definitely funny. I mean like I was like, oh shit. Like, you know, but the way that it exploded, that's kind of where my question is. Like why? Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Well, that's a part. And someone asked me yesterday, we were playing Justin Bieber and his new album.

which I'm so deeply obsessed with. It's haunting. I'm a believer, but I have not listened. Me either. It's so good. I love him. I love him so much. And someone was like, is he okay?

I'm like, obviously, I don't know. I'm like, but we as a society. Wait, why isn't, wouldn't he be okay? Like, what's the deal right now? Speculate based on his social media posts and like the- Are they, like, weird right now? I think they've been weird for a minute. Okay.

Sorry, maybe weird is not the right word, but. No, I think weird is the word. Okay, okay. And then his interactions with paparazzi and this nut. And I'm like, I don't know, but like we owe it to him to do better. And Brittany and all these people that are put in these lights. And then they just get kind of. I saw something recently that like Justin Timberlake was at a, having a concert and that he wasn't singing or something.

Did you see this thing? Like what? Yeah, they're like, he's like the side chick at the. the concert. Like, he's not, they said something or making comments that he, like,

wasn't actually performing. Maybe this wasn't, like, super viral. I don't know. That he wasn't, a lot of the times I'm watching things on my phone and my daughter's sleeping

so I have no sound on, so I can't really tell you what was going on. I'm just like something happened with Justin Timberlake. Something happened with Justin were like, that's the news,

that's the headline. I don't know. Hmm. He wasn't singing at his concert. That's a good thing. A little tidbit for you. That's a very interesting concert to go to. Listen, guys, I'm just here to keep you updated on.

Thank you. I, I, how old were you, Rachel, when you started acting? Well, I mean, my parents were very much like you're finishing, like, high school, you know, and then you can. But my first, like, regular role was the OC. And how old were you? 21. Oh, okay. So you were like.

That was a human. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Your frontal lobe still wasn't developed, though. Well, that explains so much. I was a big fan. I am a big fan. Maybe I need to revisit.

So, see, it was, it's crazy people. I find it weird. Like, I was in the mall yesterday, and these girls are, like, younger, you know? They're young, late teens, maybe. And they're like, oh, my God, you know, and they're watching the OC for the first time. And I'm like, how do you know who I am? It's, like, so old to me. me now, but like these young kids are discovering it.

That's like heartening to me for some reason. I'm like, that is a good show for teenagers to watch. What is it on? Hulu? Netflix. Netflix? Right? No.

The O.C? I don't think it's on Netflix. I don't know where it is. It's not? I don't think so. Was it never on Netflix? I don't think so. I think we should find out where it is.

I'm sure what that's easy to do. But yeah, it's just kind of crazy that people are discovering it now. because it's so early 2000s. What a classic. I mean, everything else. Well, that's all coming back, right? It is.

I know. I don't know how I feel about it, but yes. It sure is. So you're going to work. Do you want to talk about what you're going to go do shortly or is it not like out there yet? It's not out there yet. But this isn't going to air for a while. I mean,

if you want to say something and you can decide if we keep it in or not. Drops or not at all. Up to you. I think maybe I'm going to not. Okay. Okay. Well, when you come on to promote it when it's coming up, you can talk about it. So you guys have known each other since high school? Junior high school. Wow. That's awesome. Long time. Can't shake this lady. You can try. I can certainly try. Yeah. And are your kids friends? Yeah, they're like cousins. They're like family. I was thinking about it when you said, I love it.

when you said I love breastfeeding, I was like, oh, my God, Rachel and I used to get together all the time. We'd order our lunch and we'd be breastfeeding our children. And we both be sitting there breastfeeding. And I'd be like, Rachel, let Elliot try. Yeah. And she would laugh. And I'd be like, just let him try. Come on.

It's my son. No. He's hungry. Come right up to it. And then he wouldn't take. And then we both would start laughing. Yeah, we'd both start laughing. But he did.

Oh, my God. That's pretty dumb. You're like, he was eight. I was like, that was last week. I'm like, let my son try. Oh, my God. Wow. I mean, I know some people who've, like, breastfed their kids.

We never did. We never did. But it would be hilarious because it would come right up to. And then we would, like, crack up and both parties would be. Oh, that's really cute. Yeah. Also, yeah, it didn't smell. He didn't need it or she didn't need it. She had her own boob. Yeah. But like now for the plot, I wish we would have done it. I mean, I know people who've done it with like their friend who's like a gay man. You know, he is like so they're nursing his baby, give the baby breath. Oh. Or like a friend who like. Or like my friend who's baby or whose mom did. I think he's a man. Oh, my God. No. Like. Or like my friend who's baby or whose mom did. didn't produce milk, her friend, like, more of like out of because the baby needed breast milk.

Not because not necessarily for fun. Has your husband tried your breast milk? Yes, but not like to take, but when he would like test to see. I told this to someone recently and they were like, that's so crazy. That's not how you need to test the temperature, but he would like lick it. He would suck it out of your food to test. No, he never did that either. Well, it's not too late.

That is how you test the temperature. I know, but some people were like, you just wipe it off. You don't have to lick it. You just can feel the temperature. You can, but I feel like we've all done that. Okay. I don't know. My daughter never took a bottle, so I don't know.

You know, I'm sort of having that issue right now. He took a bottle, and then when we went to Northern California, he was just with me all the time, and so we just didn't use a bottle for two months. And then now I'm going back to work next week, and he's like, Oh, oh. Pushing it out of his mouth, spitting it out of his mouth. He's like, this ain't my mama? He'll take it.

Yeah. Never, your daughter never once. Like, we tried when she was little, like really little, like after when she just, yeah. Maybe one. Yeah. Yep. Can't shake her either. Do you ever notice when you're eating certain foods that, like, when I used to eat ginger, like with sushi, I'd feel the letdown.

notice that oh interesting she feels a lot of things in her nipples i'm just going to clarify let down the emotion she'll be like i she'll never notice that no i haven't either really anyone else has because i still i still feel it sometimes when i i know feel that yeah you know you know i used to have something that maybe this is tmi but like never um never um I actually saw on Emily Oster's Instagram, there's a name for this, but the very beginning, like in the first two months, I don't know why this would be too much information, but I would have this like instant feeling of having to it like weep every time I started breastfeeding. And it was like this and it was only like five seconds long, but I'd be like, am I about to like burst into tears? And it was like I had something, I forget what it's called, but there's a name for it where your hormones like do something really crazy right as. the milk starts coming out. It's not the oxytocin? Oh, no. It's something else. Yeah, I mean,

I definitely get that too. Like, I definitely have a good, it wasn't like it was painful. It was just like and I wasn't even like I was depressed. I would just be like, oh my God, I'm about the burst in tears. I guess. Yeah. That makes sense. I mean, I could burst into tears right now. We all are still dealing with in different ways now because we're old. Well, this has been such a nice conversation and so excited for your movie being released and the future projects that we will learn of in the future. And your new motherhood and maybe moving to Marin. And I think this is a beautiful time. And thank you so much for talking with us.

Thank you so much for having me. It's been awesome. It's great. It's great to meet you. A fish. So I know. Even though I feel like, no, I know you really. He's done in-depth interviews with you.

Not even casual. Actually, I could have done your interview for you because I know everything about you. But yeah, anyway, congrats on your baby and everything else. Thanks so much. Do you have to pee like often? Like, how often do each of you have to pee? An unhinged amount. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, no, like there's something wrong. and I think my doctor said I have a tilted uterus and that makes you have to pee a lot and I never knew. Wow. I mean, we have talked about this before. I know, guys. That sounds like a rap album. That is.

That's going to be the title of my rap album. I'm talking about it because, yes, once again, I have to pee. I pee, I used to pee nonstop, basically. I feel like I was getting up to use the bathroom like every hour, like growing up. But also, if I'm being honest, with myself. It probably was a way to get out of class, any sort of interaction with an adult. It was like, hey, I would love to keep talking to you, Principal James, but I have to pee. But I think it's been the last five years have been getting better. So signs of improvement.

It gets better. It gets better. Usually doesn't. No, it gets worse. Mine's getting far worse. I mean, I have a, we've talked about this, Rachel, like the best part of having a baby, was having the catheter. A hundred percent. Oh, yeah. It's amazing. Oh, yeah. That was the best thing ever, honestly.

You're like, I can just lay here and it just comes right out. It was a total joy. It was a total joy, you guys. I read, you guys, I read this weird article. Can we talk about this for two seconds? Yep. I don't know how it got to me or why it caught my attention, but basically this woman, left her husband and she said that he used to collect pee bottles and that he would she would find

them everywhere like empty water bottles filled with piss okay they'd be in his office they'd be this and that and she'd be like this is weird and like you have to stop doing it so he claimed to stop doing it but then she'd find them like behind the couch so you had like an addiction or fixation with peeing in bottles. Have you heard it? I bet you there's a word for that. I don't know what it is. And that's probably attached to it too, huh?

What? Like that's probably also someone's fetish on the other side of that. Yes. For sure. 100%. Kevin, if you ever, like, been in your studio and been like, it's going to take too much effort to get up, I will just pee right here in this bottle?

What if I was peeing right now? No, I have peed in my yard more than I would like to admit in my 30s, but not too often am I doing the bottle. I think it was just like in the last 20 years, I've probably peed in a bottle a couple of times, and it was just like, we're not stopping on this road trip kind of thing. but not really in a I have peed in various bushes and stuff mostly drunk and like just the false confidence of like who cares dude and it's like well that was someone's front yard as I'm stumbling out of a bar or something

but yeah I don't know I don't really have that also I don't think I drink enough I know I don't drink enough water and so I think like if I'm doing eight classes a day, I'm just having to pee constantly. So eight classes a day. Well, that's the recommended amount, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's the minimum. I was like, eight classes.

What the whole classes are you doing? My water classes. Where's the weirdest place either of you have peed? Hmm. I have a poop answer, which is I shit in a park. as a kid and I felt so guilty about it that I went back the next day with my dog and I bagged my own shit because I was like that was that was fucked up. What? Yeah, it was kind of like in the woods.

Like I was in the clear, but I just felt an immense sense of guilt the next morning. Mind you, I was like 12. And so I went back with my dog and pretended like I was picking up dog shit. Wow. And that has stuck with me, 20 plus years later. Yeah. Wow.

That takes the cake, I think. How about you? Really glad. The weirdest place. I'm trying to think. This wasn't me, but remember our friend who had to pee so bad and they had a towel in their car while they were driving and they just peed on the towel while they were driving? I feel like that's kind of understandable. That wasn't me.

No, I know. Weirdest place you've ever peed. I'm dealing with so much piss and shit with the baby right now. and we'll try to have this thing called the PPP, which is, yeah, the little cone thing. Yeah. But he had peed in all of them and we had not done the laundry yet.

So at 4.30 in the morning, I couldn't find one. And so he just peed half into my hand and then half into the clean diaper that I had like, so it's a lot of like rogue, as you guys know. the amount of piss and shit. Yep. What I know how weird I am, though, you guys? I have such, like, a pee fright thing that, like, for instance, we're camping in the woods,

and I really have to pee, and it's the middle of the night. Sure. And I go out of the tent to, like, pop a squat and pee, right? I'm so nervous that I have to do it quickly because there's, like, a million mosquitoes and, like, you know, your bare butt and all I can think about is that or whatever. I got so nervous that I had to go quickly. I couldn't even pee and I had to hold it for the rest of the night. I just went back in the tent.

Even though I pulled my pants down, I was ready to go. I didn't even do it because I was too caught up and like I had to do it that I got too nervous and I couldn't go. You've always had that. I have a nervous pee thing. Like if I know someone's waiting in a public restroom. I have that too. Yeah. Sometimes I can't even go.

Yeah. And you're not like I can pee in front of anyone. No. No. I need to be comfortable. Previous, I think of previous guest, John Gabris, has to shit constantly. And I think about the story he told of being on an airplane and shitting for so long that when he like was done, there was a like long line for the bathroom. And he knew he probably would have to go again.

So when he finished, he just went to the back of the line. to get back in line. Yeah. Aw. Crazy. Yeah, the P-Fright thing is real, too. I think I almost struggle with that more than the, yeah. If there's like, if there's a line, I feel such a spotlight in a way that I normally don't.

And probably in other parts of my life where I should feel that. Like, okay, people are waiting. Yeah. Like being late to a party I don't care about. But then like there's two people in line behind. Me and I'm like, screw it, screw it, abort. Exactly. Yeah, especially on an airplane.

Gotta go quick. Can I make them let them think I'm pooping. It's so stressful. Or turbulence starts while you're peeing and you're like, God damn it. Oh, that's the worst. Yeah. Yeah. So you're like, oh.

How am I supposed to relax and pay? You don't have an answer at the weirdest place. I don't know. What's yours? I know she has a weird one. Say it. I have the weirdest. What is it?

one night I was sleeping, you know, when you're dreaming. And then I was like dreaming that I had to go pee. And I was looking for a place to pee in my dream. And I was like in the woods. And so I was like popping in a squat in my dream in the woods. But then I got woken up to the sound of the pee hitting hardwood floor. Oh, no. And it woke me up.

And I was peeing on Rachel's floor. Oh my God I've told you this I know Yeah this sounds familiar Yeah it was half on your floor Half on your boyfriend's like folded laundry I had to rewash

Did I know that? Yeah It was just like t-shirts that were folded Which house was this? That was the Los Velas Yeah That's probably

I'm at this place I slept walk, peed as a kid and my mom woke up to the sound of like a noise and went into my room and I was asleep with my dresser dresser drawers open just peeing in them like talking to myself. Oh yeah. We did talk about this. Yeah. Yeah. People do that. Like I remember I was living with my friend and her boyfriend and she would wake up to him pissing in their closet and stuff. What? Yeah. that's so weird that's scary when you are capable of doing such yeah such acts

you know 100% it's wild I'm sorry I have to go goodbye it was good talking to everybody it was a great time it was a great time

bad by all that was a hate gum podcast