Happy Sad Confused - Adrianne Palicki

Episode Date: October 23, 2017

It's not lost on Adrianne Palicki how tough an iconic TV show is to follow up. But lightning may be striking twice for her as the actress is enjoying the early success of her new series on Fox, "The Orville".  This week on "Happy Sad Confused", Adrianne talks about her genre friendly career, from comic books and action films like "John Wick" to what it's like to go full sci-fi on "The Orville", a true passion project for Seth MacFarlane.  Adrianne also talks about "Friday Night Lights" of course, her dream spin-off for the show, and why so much of the cast (including herself) still live in Austin. Plus, she talks about being one of a select few actresses who have gotten to play Wonder Woman! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Get after him or have you shot You mean blow up the building From this moment on None of you are safe New episodes every Wednesday Wherever you get your podcasts Today on Happy Sad Confused, Adrian Polickey on Seth MacFarlane, her new show The Orville, Wonder Woman, and Friday Night Lights. Hey guys, I'm Josh Harrow.

It's welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad Confused, welcome to my podcast where I talk to some super talented people. And yes, that includes the wonderfully talented, wonderfully charismatic, delightful Adrian Polickey. Her first visit to Happy Say Confused, and she was great. As you know, I'm sure if you've listened to this podcast, we recently had Taylor Kitch on, so of course Friday Night Lights is always a show that comes up around here, big fan of that one. And if you know that show, you probably adore Adrian Policki as much as I. She was fantastic on that show. And yes, of course, we talk a little Friday Night Lights on this one.

But more to the point, she's starring in a new show on Fox. if you haven't checked it out, I definitely recommend it. I've been watching it. It's called the Orville, and it's from the demented mind that is Seth McFarlens. Seth is a huge Star Trek fan, and this show is very much in the vein of Trek. It's particularly like kind of Star Trek the next generation, so it's kind of like very kind of comfort food for sci-fi fans. I'm certainly enjoying it, and Adrian plays kind of Seth's characters like ex-wife and first

officer on the show. It's kind of an odd blend of traditional sci-fi with some comedy, but maybe not as much comedy as you would expect from a Seth MacFarland show. Anyway, it's the kind of show that you should experience and check out for yourself because the tone is very specific. It's doing quite well, actually, by the way. The show airs Thursday nights on Fox. Make sure to check it out. That's the Orville. Also in this conversation, we talk about a lot of things. Of course, as I said, Friday Night Lights, but also, you know, all the many genre properties that Adriens kind of dabbled in over the years. She's done a lot of kind of sci-fi action stuff from G.I. Joe to John Wick. And yes, Wonder Woman. For those that don't know, she actually played, she's one of the select few that played Wonder Woman. It was a pilot, sadly, that was not picked up from the mind of David Kelly, a great writer.

But she got to wear that suit and got to be Wonder Woman for a period of time. So we talk about that. And actually the fact that, and I didn't know this, that she very nearly played Wonder Woman in a future film. So that is discussed in this episode as well. We talked a couple weeks back. This was taped when Adrian was visiting New York for New York Comic-Con. So for context, I think that comes up a little bit in the conversation. So anyway, I'm flying solo today. As you can hear, it's just me and my voice talking to you guys.

Sammy is sadly not with me for the intro. trying to coordinate schedules. Sammy's busy with a lot of stuff. So we're trying to figure out when we're actually in the same room. Hopefully she'll be on next week's show and shows from there on out. But for now, we'll keep the intro short and go right to Adrian's conversation with me. And of course, a quick reminder. Always review, rate and subscribe. Happy said Confused on iTunes. That does make a difference. It really helps. And in the meantime, I guess, enjoy this conversation with Adrian Policki. Oh, look, it's Adrian Policki.

Hi, Adrienne. Hey, how are you? So casual. It's good to see you. I love it. It's good to see you. Congratulations on the show. We're going to talk a lot about the Orville.

I saw you guys in San Diego before the big debut. Congratulations. The ratings are really good. Thank you. Yes. It's always that nervous, like, ripping off the Band-Aid. You're like, is it going to go? Is it not going to go?

Whatever. And I haven't, like, absorb, like, the actual numbers, but I've seen enough, like, headlines and be like, highest drama since something like these are good these are very good exactly i don't understand any of it so when the producers text me and go you know what we're doing well i'm very very happy they're good emojis not sad emojis exactly it's all i need to know is an actor um you should know very recently in your seat was uh your good old friend uh taylor kitsch uh um he warmed the seat up for you rigs i mean we always love him how did we just define i'm still trying to define

the kits to people because like i don't know what's up Oh, my God. He and Derek Phillips, who played Billy Wiggins. When they get together, they're two of my really dear friends. And it's just literally, I don't understand what they're saying. It's like they bro out. Yeah. It's just a lot of grunting.

So he invited me to hang out with him in Austin and stay over there. And I do not know if I can handle, I am so not. I love Taylor, but I am so the other end of the genetic pool from Taylor Kitch. Oh, shush, you are not. I mean, I can drink a beer and I can exercise. but I can't do it to the degree that I think Mr. Taylor Kitchkin. Yes, it's crazy.

He might break me. I mean, I'm a pretty athletic person, but he could make me vomit based on his regiment. I'm just telling you. Okay, well, we'll get to Friday Night White, so it comes full circle, but we were just saying you're in town, you're in New York for New York Comic Con. Yes.

It's my first time. Seriously? I know. That is surprising. It's crazy. My brother goes every year because he's a comic book writer, but I, you know, have yet to actually. I'm always working.

Right. So this is a nice. Well, you've done. San Diego, and you've probably done it multiple times. Oh, yeah. First time was for fun, and then the rest has been for work. Is that right? Yeah.

You're hardcore. Okay, we'll get to that too. So, I mean, yeah, New York is going to be a cinch. I mean, San Diego is still like the, as you well know, the mother load. Yes. It's not really a Comic Con anymore. It's more of just, you know, a promotional. It's a pop culture convention.

Exactly. Yeah. But, yeah, your brother is a, like that is full-time gig, like comic books and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, he's a comic book writer. We wrote one together recently called No Angel. So I noticed a little bit of a resemblance in the character. Really? You did?

You noticed that? It's that total coincidence. The protagonist of No Angel might be a tall Adrian Policky-like character? With red hair. Whatever. It's fine. It's very red-dawn-esque. Yeah, exactly.

Has it been fun to work with your brother? Yes, always. He's one of my best friends. What's the age difference? He's four and a half years older. Okay. Yeah. That's me and my brother.

as well. Yeah. It was a good dynamic. He, like, moved out and went to college, and that's when we kind of became really good friends. Exactly. You know. It's just the two of you? Just the two of us. Gotcha. So, yeah, because that's always, no matter how much antagonism there is, there's always going to be, like, the influence. You're going to kind of like, hey, I'll show you the music and the films and the TV I like, and you might resent it at first, but it also is going to inform you as a kid. Absolutely. I mean, that's why I started liking comic books, because my brother read comic books. So, of course, I read, you know, Supergirl because I wanted to be tall and blonde and pretty when I grew up. You know what I mean? And Wonder Woman, and those are the things

that I read, but I wanted to be like him. So, you know, watching Monty Python. It was like, my brother watches Monty Python. I want to watch Monty Python. You know, he really did, you know, inform a lot of, you know, culturally what I like. So what's, what's the comic book? What's the, the gist of the story in that? It's, it's kind of, you know, well, it's, I don't know if you know the, the history. of the nephelam, which is, it's a part of the Bible, which ultimately, when, you know, God sent down angels to kill men, they kind of enjoyed what they, what they saw, and they raped and pillaged and whatever, and there's actual groups of people in the world who believe that this, you know,

spawn actually exists, where it's half man, half angel. And so it's kind of about this woman, she comes home, an investigator to, you know, her father and brother have been murdered. So she starts to kind of investigate what's going on, only to find out that her dad was part of this cult in which he was part of the Nephelm. So she finds out she has a sister, she finds out she's part of this lineage, but it's a long-evolved thing, but it's very, you know, god-devil thing, which I always love, that Constantine-esque world. So is the satisfaction in just doing the comic, or is it, I mean, as I joked, you know, there is a resemblance, is the idea hopefully to adapt this to something as well?

Absolutely. For me, that was kind of, you know. Yeah, why not? Absolutely. I was like, this would be a great character to play. It's like, here, guys, look, there are storyboards for you. Exactly. What more do I have to do to show you? And, you know, a comic before you actually do have those, you know, pages, it looks just like a script. So I'm like, you know, that's all there for us.

Totally. So you were saying, in town for New York Comic-Con, but you said you went to a Comic-Con, even before you were there professionally. Yes, I went with a friend who was going for work to San Diego. And then the next year, funny enough, I went for Legion. But, yeah, the first time I went was just for fun. Is it still fun?

I mean, it's a job. It's different. I mean, the first time I went, it was completely different than it is now. Right. I mean, right now it is a little bit of a circus. I'm excited to go to this Comic-Con because I'm excited to see. My brother always talks about how much she loves us. one because it's, you know, still legitimately a Comic-Con as opposed to, you know, not

promoting glee. I mean, you know what I mean? It's like, it's not even comic book stuff. That's always the fun game in every comic-con is to, like, be like, which 10 shows really, as much as I might love them, have no right to be here. And we're not going to talk about it, but we're just going to accept it. Exactly. Like the Orville belongs.

River works. Totally. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. So, yeah, it's going to be a different kind of event for you coming, because when you go to San Diego, for something like the Orville, that's got to be a little bit nerve wracking because you're showing it off kind of for the first time and you're kind of like, it's almost like test screening it for an audience and now you actually know.

And that is the audience. That's the thing. Yeah. You know, it's like if we blow it with this audience and we're really, we're screwed. Did they, did you sense in San Diego there was an openness to it? Absolutely. People were so supportive and we had the best panel and, you know, it's a hard, it's a hard show to describe to people because I don't think it's been done.

and at least not for many years so to compare it to something's very difficult and everybody wants to compare it to Star Trek but it's like it's not Star Trek right it's a nod to Star Trek yeah you know it's a nod to Twilight Zone it's a nod to you know Galaxy Quest there's a lot of different things happening but it's not it's its own thing yeah I mean I was telling you guys

when you came into our silly little space in San Diego legitimately it was top of my list because I grew up with this stuff too and I went to the conventions when I was a kid and I was a huge Star Trek fan And, of course, I have a Galaxy Quest. So I love, like, all the things that are influencing it, even if it's not a direct correlation. And I was saying to you, when you came in here, like,

it took me a second to recalibrate, like, what the show was. Because my first hint was, I was shocked when I heard it was an hour long. I was like, wait a second. Yeah. This is an hour long. So that leads me to leave it's not necessarily a straight comedy. And it's certainly not. It's funny.

I don't, yeah, I'm still kind of wrestling with how to describe it. But it's almost like, like, real people. like real flesh and blood people put in like the Star Trek context to me it's like people like people speaking the way you speak in that kind of absurd setting world exactly and that's exactly what Seth wanted he's like you know there has to be stakes so it has to be set in some version of reality for us these characters you know what I mean if we want to play the spoof we could

but it grounds it by just going you know this is day to day and yes there's Bordas and there's an artificial life form who happens to be smarter than everyone and also racist you know what I mean And it's like, there's this really cool world that he's created, but it is very, very, very difficult to describe to people. But, I mean, it was also that some of the promotional stuff was not necessarily, I think, accurate. Sure. You know, it was promoting it in the way of humor.

Yeah, exactly. And the response, though, thankfully, has been brilliant from the audience and the fans, which are the reason that any show survives. Sure. Friday Night Lights is a testament to that. Yes. You know. The little show that could. It couldn't be stopped.

Thank God for the fans. man. Thank God for those footballs you all sent in. So did you get the tone from the get-go? Like, was it enough for, like, Seth to describe it and to read the first script, or did it take you a second to figure out, like, what show you were in? I read it, and within the first five pages, which, sadly enough, I mean, you really think about it, it's like, it's quite an introduction, yeah. I'm saying, like, the blue, you know, the blue alien scene sold me.

I was like, I have to play his character, which is a weird thing for an actress to say, but I was like, it just, oh my God, it was crying, laughing. Because I was thinking to myself, I'm like, this is smart humor. I mean, throughout, you know, there's levels, of course, that that's a, that's a Seth McFarland moment, that's a family guy moment. Sure. But there's so much brilliant humor in it and smart humor that kind of takes you a second. I love the humor that, you know, a minute later, you're like, oh, that was funny.

It takes you, you know, into a different place. And then to see, actually, the finished product to me was different than how it played paper. But I enjoyed it more because it reminded me of something I watched when I was growing up, you know, something in the late 80s, early 90s that was innocent. Yeah. You know, it's bright, it's colorful. At the end, you kind of feel good. Yeah, it's kind of comfort food. It kind of feels, it does. It has a little bit of, it goes down easy, but even, and it also tackles, you know, issues and political issues and sociological issues in a way that I think Seth, you know, it's funny. is that weird mix, isn't he?

He's kind of like high and lowbrow. He's a super smart guy who also likes, you know, poop humor. Yes. And that's kind of like the beauty of Seth McCarwin. Exactly. And that's why the show works. He's a hard person to describe as well. So the show works perfectly for that reason.

So, and you just said you just wrapped the first, was it 12 or 13 episodes? Nice. Yes. That's a grime, though. I mean, you're no stranger to that kind of like schedule, like the hour-long drama. Absolutely. This schedule was harder than most because it. We're developing a world.

And that's never been, and this is also, Seth's dream, he moved to Los Angeles for this show, to do this show. So everything had to be perfect. And it's one of my favorite things about him is how much of a perfectionist he is in that world because he cares about it so much.

And so it did. It took time and hours and, you know, it will always get easier as first season is always the hardest. But it was also so enjoyable because we're all friends, you know. A lot of us knew each other before we started shooting. Is that right? Yes.

So did you know Seth from a particular project? Have you just met socially or whatever? Seth and I campaign for Obama in 2008. Nice. Well, actually, 2007. And, yeah, he was, that we became really dear friends. We've known each other for 10 years. Nice.

I know J-Lean for 10 years. And, you know, and J-Ley and Scott have known Seth for 20. So it's like there's weird family that it's, it's, already, it was already there. As we take this, I don't, the Charlize episode, I think it's one episode, right? Hasn't aired yet. I'm very excited to see her mix it up because she's one of my favorite human beings on the planet.

Did you get to do anything with her? Oh, yeah. Yeah? Huh? Oh, yeah. She's awesome. I mean, I mean, I would think, you know, in the, in the, the tall, cool actress club, you've got the private club.

Absolutely. And I'd met her previously because of Seth. And I, you know, I just, I always thought that she was very, very cool. And, you know, she's somebody who likes women, which as an actress in Hollywood is very, very hard to come by. I know it sounds crazy, but, you know, she's just, she's so lovely. She's powerful. She's strong, but she's kind of like a dude, and I love that about her. Yeah.

And I'm telling you, she and I have a scene that most men, I think, are going to be very happy about. Ooh, exciting. I'm going to double DVR now. Record twice on my TVR. So, and what are you guys doing at your conference? are you showing just new footage and new episodes stuff? I have no idea. You just go where they tell you. I do. I'm just like, just go

and talk about things. I'm like, great. This is fantastic. I think we're showing an episode. I don't know if we're showing an episode. We're doing a panel. It's going to wave a little bit, signs of things. Seth's going to Skype. You know, it's going to be me, Scott and Penny. Have you ever had to do the Comic-com thing where you do the step

and repeat and you pose with fans for like three hours awkward? Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. How awkward is that? Be honest. It's a little awkward. Hey, how are you? love the photos that come out of like someone just like you're standing in one place and like everybody is next to you and it's just you know if people are giving drinks in those moments it's fine right because by the end of it you really have no idea what you're freaking doing

where you're at you know hey as long as you can stand up it's all matters right you can get a stool you know exactly by then you're in a bed why is she's sleeping does this count as a photo off she's sleeping she's there it's fine exactly her presence is felt her snoring gives it away. Do you remember the first time that you were kind of recognized, that you were acknowledged for work? I mean, you're a striking figure, and you're tall, so I would think there's always, like,

you know, people probably notice you. Definitely stand out. Because of my height, for sure. The first time, because, I mean, I've lived in L.A., and I've lived in, in Austin, we shot Friday Night Lights, so people were very supportive, and it wasn't, they would just come up and be like, thank you, because it was helping the table.

town and everything else. L.A., everybody's in the industry, so, like, nobody really cares. Right. The moment it happened, which, shockingly, for me, it was a few, it was seven years ago or something like that, I was walking in Soho in New York. Because New Yorkers are awesome. We're cool about it. But very cool, you know?

Whatever. It's fine. A little head nod, like, hey. Oh, yeah, okay. But Friday Night Lights fans are awesome and insane in the best possible way. And I just hear walking, it was like Christmas. Yeah. Oh my God, it's Tyra! In like the middle of Soho. I'm just like, like a sardine and I'm like, oh my God. And everybody turns and that was my first moment of going. There was a flash mob. They just ran after. It was like a hard day's night. You're running. It was like, it was all so awesome because I was like, thank God we have this many fans for the show. Yeah. You know what I mean? If you're recognizing me, then you're really watching the show. Well, so what is the, because this is a show that will, I was going to say for good or for bad, there's no real bad. It's going to follow you till the day you die.

This is one of those shows that like even if the audience wasn't a billion people, the people, as you say, that watched it, like, it really touched them. It must be a day-to-day part of your life in some degree still when people go up to you. Like, what are the things they still say to you today when they interact with you? Well, because, you know, the thing is that show is relevant no matter when you watch it. Yeah. You know, a lot of people started watching it now, which is why you still get, you know, knowledgement for it um the the coolest thing that ever was said to me about tyra was that you know

i've had girls come up to me and be like she's the reason i went to college and like that really that's amazing that means a lot because that character went through a lot to get there and so that's the point you know jason katoms called me um the end of the third episode and he was like or the third season and he's like pelicki i really i really don't want to lose you on the show but I also am like torn because I really think Tyra should go to college and I was like she needs to go to college otherwise this whole thing has been in vain

if she stays in this town and you know has fought for this thing and doesn't get there then it's just as much as I wanted to stay on the show sure you know were you happier when Tyro was with kits or Plymonds who were you rooting for I loved the I love the dynamic of Landry

because it was you know but I loved in the fifth season like when she comes back She's supposed to be with Riggins. Right. And I think the spinoff of Tyra and Riggins would be amazing, and they take over for coach. Right.

And, you know, she becomes Tammy Taylor. Should we start texting Taylor right now? Just see what we can do? Absolutely. I mean, it'll be much more tumultuous relationship, you know. A little bit more, you know, desperate housewives. Right. Was that a game changer, not even just in terms of career?

I'm always curious about that show in, like, the approach to that show, the way that Pete Berg shot the pilot and, the template and how improvisational it wasn't how loose and it had an immediacy for the audience and I'm sure for the actors was it unlike anything you'd ever shot before absolutely and it's the reason I'm the actor I am today because it was it was like acting school every day yeah you really have to step up and there were so many amazing actors on that show and when you're improving with them and you're you know having to step up to the plate and you know there's no marks which you're

used to kind of like go stand here say this line yeah oh you messed up your line step back Five times, all right? You know what I mean? This is like, no, no, no, the mess-ups are the best thing. You know, here's your space. We have three, oh, you've looked in the camera because you don't know where they're at. It's like that kind of, that kind of feeling.

So everything was very, very, very realistic. It was actually hard going from that to something else. I would imagine. I was like, oh, I forgot. There's marks, and I don't like doing this. But, no, it's the reason that I'm the actor I am today. Yeah. Thank God for Pete Berg.

Was there a morning period after Friday Night Lights? the realization that there might be good projects that come and go, there's not going to be something that was exactly that, that will replicate that kind of experience. Absolutely. I think until Orville, I was just very, very, very aware of the fact that that was going to be the best thing I ever did. And now I'm, you know, in a situation where I'm doing a very close second. Yeah.

So it's just a completely different experience. So I could even say it's equally as wonderful. It's just, it's different, but it's up there. So, so, and I know we're jumping around, forget. me, but I mean, working with someone like Seth who is, I don't even know, triple threat, whatever you want to count it, like he's a writer of many, if not all the episodes, I know. So is that weird to be acting opposite the writer? Is that advantage?

Like, if you fuck up a line or you like, I'm fucking get up in front of the writer, like, is that a whole other dimension? It's an advantage for sure, because here's the thing, you know, I'm not, as much as I love doing comedy and I've done it, I have never, I haven't done this much comedy. Right. And that's scary. And to have this guy next to me who's going, you know, helping you through it and being your support system is really, really awesome. And also it is kind of nice if you flub something.

And he goes, oh, no, no, that's better. That's better. You know, you keep that. You know what I mean? And that freedom to feel that way. So what's the best note he or someone have given you in terms of, like, playing comedy? Is it not to play the comedy? Is it just a...

Yeah, absolutely. It's just a bit, you know, play it straight. And in my character, Kelly, is the straight man, but that's where the humor comes from. same thing like Bortis. Right. Things that come out of his mouth because he's so straight about it is...

The straighter he plays it, the better. Oh my God, and his voice. It's phenomenal. Yes. Where do you guys shoot it? And the sets and the makeup and everything about it just feel... We shoot at Fox Studios in Los Angeles.

Oh, nice. But they built this ship. It's two stories. I'm telling you, they put an engine on this thing. It could actually fly. I mean, it's massive. All the, you know, corridors are functional. Like, all the way over.

round. It's unbelievable. We have the most amazing, most amazing team. I'm inviting myself over for next season. You have to. And then you have Howard Berger, who's, you know, an Academy Award winning makeup artist who pops on these, and his team pops on these prosthetics in like two hours and make Bortis look like Bortis. That's crazy. Back in the day, that would have like been six hours. Or CGI'd. Yep. You know? So, okay, so let's go back. So you, you grew up in Toledo. Yes. You're the first Toledo guest

on Happy Second Fuse, the podcast, welcome. As far as I know. That's awesome. I mean, Katie Holmes. Oh, yeah, Katie has not been here. So, okay. So what do I need to know about Toledo? What is there to know about Toledo?

Um, uh... This speaks volumes. You gotta go to Tony Paco's. She's Hungarian. Okay. And it's the best hot dog you'll ever have, sausage. Nice. Um...

And... Go back often, do you? Nope. Any family back there still? I do. Most of my family. My brother lives in Seattle, and other than that, the rest of my family's there. My parents come out to see me as often as possible.

But, you know, it's... I loved growing up there. It was an incredible place to grow up. I also felt like it was a great place to leave. Yeah. And I respect it so much. It's just, you know... It wasn't the right fit for you.

not the right fit for me yeah yeah so when did you when did you start acting was it was it in high school was in high school i started doing plays and musicals and the first play i ever did uh lent me a tenor was when i realized that i wanted to do that for the rest of my life like truly knew i wanted to do that and the last one which was the whiz i decided i had to and i could and so i was filling out college applications 17 years old and i remember where both my parents were in the house and i said i put down my pen and paper, filling out college applications, I said, I'm going to move to New York and I'm going to be an actress. My dad just put his head down and shook his head. My mom started screaming and rightly so. So I, my best friend and I, we ended up running out the NYU dorms,

which they do with his summer for like dirt cheap at the time. It was like $400. And lived in Greenwich Village and, you know. And you survived somehow. I spent a month there because that was all the money I had. I remember her and I going and like splitting a veggie burger at, you know, some little shop just to feel like we were out in the world, you know what I mean? But I realized very quickly that I was not going to be on Broadway that way. So how long did you spend here? I was only here, mom.

Literally just that mom. And I auditioned in front of a bunch of casting directors and agents, and I got an agent out of L.A., which was really coast to Mesa. I didn't know the difference. And I moved back to that. Ohio, worked two jobs for a couple months, and my dad drove out with me and didn't know anybody in L.A. and worked a million jobs, made sandwiches, worked at the Magic Castle, you know, cocktail waitress, DJ, all the things.

No, do you look back on that time fondly, or like, oh, thank God I made it through that? Thank God it only took me two years. I mean, I've known people been there for 20 still trying to make it, and it's a difficult feat. but I was balsy. I think now I'm like, I would absolutely never do that again. So, meaning you just had a lot of self-confidence. You felt like, of course, this is going to end up happening, or that's... I moved out there with the sense that if I'm 50 and I'm still waiting tables,

this is still what I want to do, because there's nothing. I had no fallback plan. Right. That was it. That's all I wanted to do. I knew we would not be happy doing anything else. And what was the kind of, I can only imagine the kind of stuff you had to go out for at first? Oh, everything, you know, where the bikini was involved for sure.

Right. yeah was that so what's that like to have to like do those kind of auditions and those jobs at first is that kind of soul crushing or kind of like it is what it is it is what it is you know it's just whatever you know what I mean you're like if I'm getting paid and I'm acting and I get my sag card this is all that matters yeah and I'm keeping my clothes on pretty much so it's fine what degree of grossness did you have to deal with in terms of casting director like were people relatively cool or would I be would it confirm my my uh view of humanity that there was kind of gross

people out there. There's gross people out there, but there's just really like, happy things that are said to you. I had, I wore my hair curly for, because I've naturally curly hair, I wore my hair curly for an audition. And my manager calls me and says that the casting director thinks I should never wear my hair curly again

for an audition because it makes my face look fat on screen. I mean, stuff like that. You know what I mean? And it's like, to this day, I'm still kind of scarred by it. I'm like, I'm not going to wear my hair curly then because my face looks fat. Horrible, horrible. And so what's the first job?

What's the first job you put on the resume that you either were proud of or not proud of? Well, I'm not going to say the one I'm not proud of it. Is it on the IMDB? Is it somehow flush from the system? Let's say Danny Trejo was in that movie. First thing I really did that kind of broke my career was John Wu did a pilot. It was a remake of Lost in Space. I saw this movie.

I was fascinated by this, both by that it's Lost in Space and then John Woonoo. Don Wu, of all people. It was awesome. And you know what? He figured out a way to make doves fly in space. I love it. It was awesome.

It was awesome. So you were Judy? I was Judy. The girl. Yep. That's so fun. Yep. Was it like actually a decent pilot or just not worth it?

You know, it never got finished. I mean, we shot the whole thing. It's just that the sea, it was so expensive. Yeah. And we went way over and they went through different writer. It was, it was a thing. Wait, there weren't actually dubs in space. Were there?

Origami. And it was a sloth. slow motion, and that's how I saw the guy I was interested in. That's amazing. Does this video exist anywhere? My parents have a copy of it, but I gave to them on VHS. Amazing. When was the first of the, you've been associated with and can cast in a bunch of comic book-related projects?

Smallville, the first one? Smallville was the first, even after Lost in Space, but yeah. Right. There was the Aquaman pilot. Man pilot. Yep. Supernatural. I mean, I've had a lot of genre jobs, for sure.

So of all the ones that we know about, like, comic-book related, how many do I not even know about that you went up for? Like, are those basically the ones that you were... Oh, I was Justice League. Which Incarnation of Justice? George Miller was going to direct. Yeah. I actually had that role for a second.

Which one? The Wonder Woman. Oh, my God. Wait, what do you mean you had it for a second? What happened? Well, they needed more actors from Australia. And, yeah, actually. To make it work financially for them to actually shoot there.

And they found a woman who literally, I mean, she was Amazonian, which was awesome. And I wouldn't have been able to do the rest of Frighted Ant Lights if I'd done it. But, you know. That must have been, well, luckily. And thankfully, because they were there for six months. And, yeah. I mean, Army, I'll tell you all about. Yeah.

I just had Jay Baruchel in here. He has amazing stories that. he was like the bad guy in that film. Yeah. That's like the most infamous like project that never was that I'm obsessed with. It would have been George Miller doing that movie. Are you kidding me?

And stuff. I mean the things that I've seen from it. Yeah. Unbelievable. The way it was, you know, supposed to be. So that was a big one. That was a big one.

You ended up getting Wonder Woman, of course. I did. Is that weird that that's again, one of those things that's going to always going to come up even though like it didn't actually, it happened. You shot a pilot and you got to wear the costume. I got paid to wear the costume.

We shut down Hollywood Boulevard, which had never been done for a TV series before, which was fun. David E. Kelly? That's an amazing. I love David E. Kelly. The whole experience was amazing. I'm over it now. There was a good three years where people would bring it up, and I'd be like, Don't mention my curly hair either. Yep. That's right. But now it's like, I'm so proud that there.

They've made a movie. I'm so proud that they're, you know, really taking these female characters seriously, and it's a character that deserves to be out there. Totally. Yeah, and you're in a different place. As you said, you're in a project that you're proud of. They've done well by their own right.

So it's like now you can feel like you can talk about it without the wound. Absolutely. Absolutely. Right. So, and then, of course, what am I missing in the genre world? Agents of Shield, fun, enjoyable experience? Oh, yeah, absolutely.

playing Mockingbird? Yeah. That was fun. Now, did you ever get to shoot the kind of like potential spin-off thing? We did. It was actually great.

ABC just just one of those things. Yeah. TV side of Marvel. It's still, they're still figuring it out. Yeah. Well,

I mean, the Netflix version figured out, I feel like. Yeah. It's, you know, the, yeah.

Yes. So, but no, it was, I mean, Agents was super fun and, and I love those scripts of people.

I love, they're all going to be at ComicCon. Yeah. I'm so excited to see it and they're my friends. one of my favorite. She's super funny. She's like wild. She's absolutely not that character. I know. I mean, I didn't realize that until I started to talk to her. She has the grossest sense of

humor and I love it. I had no idea. Like, yeah. Because I've done more with the rest of them and I think she was part of a group interview at Comic Con a couple years ago and I was like, oh, you're a crazy lady in a best possible way. Oh, absolutely. She kept me young. Nice. So, so what do you, I mean, you continually, I'm sure, get, you know, in the run running for these kind of cool genre properties. Like, is that where you're, it sounds like that's what you grew up with to a degree and it's what you're into anyway. That being said, is like, are you not thought of for certain kinds of roles that you wish

you were? Or is it, are you satisfied with the kind of like the box that you're in in terms of Hollywood? Well, you know, it's like, I don't feel like I am in a box, you know? And I think the show is very, you makes that very clear in the sense of like, yes, it happens to be a genre show, but it's the characters, you know, funny, smart, strong, vulnerable, kick-ass. You know, like, she gets, I get to embody a lot of different things in this.

There was definitely that, like, okay, she's only an action chick. Right. For a while. Right. Which I didn't mind. Did that come out, did that come out of John Wick or before John Wick? That was before John Wick. Wonder Woman, I had Wonder Woman, and then it was like, G.I. Joe.

Right. You know, it was, that changed everything. Right. You know, they called for John Wick. because they wanted, you know, somebody who would do stunts. Yeah. But I really enjoy doing it. It makes me feel like a badass.

Yeah, and again, if you're working with the right people, I mean, if you're going to do it, you do it on John Wick. Yeah. Like, that's the best team of people to work with. Absolutely. I don't know if you remember. I visited you guys on set when you were actually shooting your fight scene in that film. And it was before, like, it was just like a Keanu action movie.

Like, oh, maybe, I don't know, this is going to be released? Who knows what this is? Right. And then it turned into, like, the. coolest action movie of the decade. I know. Did you, I mean, did you know, like, the pedigree of, like, those guys, they were the Matrix guys and everything. Did you know, like, it was going to be on that level when you were signed on? Absolutely. I mean, I knew that it was going to be on that level as far as what, what I read. I was like, first, I read the

script. And actually, when I read the script, my character was named David Perkins. It was a dude. I love that they kept everything the same. They just changed the name. Nice. But, yeah, no, just working with them and how diligent they were and how, I mean, I worked really hard. They put me through you know, Helen back to learn Jiu-Jitsu, which was awesome. And I'm glad they did because it made that fight sequence of really big standout in the movie.

But it was hard work, and they're such hard workers, and I've never worked with better stunt people in my life. I'm sure. It was through and through. Has, I mean, that's one of the highlights, I'm sure, on the film side of your career. The film stuff's harder probably to find, like the juicy, kind of, like, rewarding stuff. I mean, looking at your filmography, arguably, the best stuff has probably been on television for you, personally, that you felt rewarding. Is that fair to say?

Yeah, I mean, you know, I've had fun. Like, I did a movie last year that came out called Baby, Baby, Baby, which I, it's a romantic comedy, which I really love. And, you know, doing those things that are a little bit different. Yeah. Also really rewarding, because, you know, it's like, oh, I still can do that. Right. You know what I mean? Didn't throw one punch in that movie.

But, yeah, I would, I'd say it's probably safe. to say that the most rewarding stuff has been on television. Because you get to play a character arc. You know, you get to play something throughout that's creating something that's not short-lived. Sure. Or, you know, put into a little, you know, area in which you have to show a lot

in a very minimal amount of time. Is it tough to find male co-stars that can literally stand toe-to-to-toe with you or higher? I think Red Dawn got it right. They got Hemsworth, so he actually is one of the few people that can... Hover over me. Exactly.

Taylor is just slightly taller than me. Okay. Yeah. That works. Do we want to say where Seth is? I don't know. Seth is taller than me. Is he really?

Yeah, he's a good inch taller than me. Okay. Mm-hmm. Okay. So we're getting there. Are you like the old fun like stereotype of like, oh, I was tall and I was awkward and gangly. Oh, I didn't know what, I mean, where my limbs went when I was a kid. I was knock-kneed, dude.

I had a fro and I was knock-kneed. Okay. My brother will validate this claim. In fact, you'd probably show you a picture. I was not. And I'm thankful for it because I think it made me the person I am today, but I was definitely not attractive for a good portion of life. And we're always that kid inside. You know, exactly.

We're always stuck at 12 or whatever. Yeah, that really awkward phase where people are making fun of you. Absolutely. When did you get the first tattoo? I got my first tattoo when I was 19. I was a bit drunk. and I was into astrology, as most 19-year-old, you know, girls in Los Angeles are.

What's your sign? And so I was like, well, I'm a tourist, so I'm going to get a bowl. Right. And it was the only one I went in and went, I'm going to get that. And it's the Merrill Lynch logo. So that was my first tattoo. It's your first endorsement deal before you knew it. It was actually Zach Guilford walking up, you know, the stadium stairs at Friday Night.

It was like, why do you have Merrill Lynch on your ass? Because also it happens to be my tramp stand, which is... Classic. Even better. Yes. So that's my... That was my first one. And then I was stuck.

Then I was... I probably got... On Friday Night Lights, I probably got six tattoos. Wow. Because... Was this going in on... This is like a War of the Ring style thing where everybody got it in together? Just you yourself?

I'm just addicted to them. And my character, they... First of all, Friday nights never worried about continuity at all. I mean, I got my hair cut during episodes. Like, there's an episode. in the second season where my hair's like two inches shorter in the second scene of it. But, yeah, no, I would show up like every episode with a new tattoo. They're fond of it.

Yeah, they just were like as long as it's... Have you stopped now? Where are you at now? No, I just got a new... I was just in Dublin. This arrow here? Very nice. I got this one for my dad.

It's a green arrow. And you've been mysterious about the Supergirl one, about the location. I'm not going to ask location. But what is it? Is it literally a... It's just the logo. The logo, Supergirl. But I got it for Supergirl.

Not Superman. Of course. Yeah. I mean, let's be clear. Let's be clear. Superman gets enough love. That was my second tattoo. That was your second, not after the Merrill Lynch.

Yep. 21 in South Beach. What's a good starter tattoo for someone considering the first tattoo? Because it's clearly not the Merrill Lynch logo. Don't do that. Don't do the Merrill Lynch logo. Don't do anything that can be misconstrued as a logo. Absolutely.

What I would do is do you research and not go into some place and say, I want that off the wall. Right. Maybe sober. Maybe sober-ish. I mean, listen, take a couple shots before you do it. Sure. But, you know, go in with full and, you know.

Exactly. Make the choice. And then once they get the gear out, then you can start to drink. Then you can start to drink. You numb yourself. Just slightly. Just pick something that, you know, you're not going to regret. Yeah.

Don't do the Mike Tyson face tattoo if you're going to be an actor. Absolutely. And never, ever, ever get your significant others. name. It is the kiss of death. It is the kiss of death. You don't have that, do you? No. Did you date someone named Supergirl at some point, or Marilyn Lynch? I have my ex's face on my stomach. That's a lie. Oh, my God. How did you not end up in, in Austin, like many of your friends? Did you ever have a place there? I have a place there now. Oh, you do? I'm back and forth. I didn't realize that. Yes. You're making it work. I know. It's my sanctuary.

Something's in the water there. Everybody on that show just fell in love and can't let go. It's the only place I felt like home ever in my life. It's like I walked into that situation and I was like, this city is a city that I believe I was supposed to be born in. And so I would go back all the time

and yeah, I finally bought a place there like everybody else. Excellent. So when I visit Taylor and he murders me or is killing me, I'm going to call you and be like, help me, he's hurting me. He thinks we're having fun, but I'm not having a good time. I'm like, I'll come pick you up.

Adrian, help me. We're going to go have drinks. Okay, but send me back to my apartment in New York. I need to go to bed. I don't want to touch you. Oh, you're not going to sleep. You're not going to sleep in Austin. I don't want to.

Between the two of us, no. Congratulations on the show. I hope you have a great time in your Comic Con. I'm sure you will. It's always good to see you, and I'm looking forward to what comes next on the show. Thank you. So good to see it.

Thanks for something for you. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to the show. show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't pressure to do this by Josh. Goodbye

summer movies, hello fall. I'm Anthony Devaney. And I'm his twin brother James. We host Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the ultimate movie podcast, and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases. We have Leonardo DiCaprio leading a revolution in one battle after another,

Timothy Shalame playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma Stone and Jorgos Lanthamos' Bugonia. Dwayne Johnson's coming for that Oscar in The Smashing Machine, Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again, plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about two. Tron Aries looks exceptional, plus Mortal Kombat 2, and Edgar Wright's The Running Man starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.